ATTEMPTS TO PRODUCE SOLASODINE IN CALLUS AND SUSPENSION-CULTURES OF SOLANUM-MAURITIANUM SCOP

Callus cultures of Solanum mauritianum Scop. were initiated from green berry explants on a hormone-free Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium excluding glycine, and containing 0.1 g L(-1) myo-inositol and 3% sucrose. Such cultures contained 10.08 +/- 0.59 mu g g(-1) DW of solasodine, which is equivalent to that in the leaves of mature S. mauritianum plants, but far less than that extracted from the green berries (185 mu g g(-1) DW). In vitro solasodine productivity could be increased by reducing the strength of the medium by half, substituting 3% glucose for 3% sucrose as carbon source, or by the addition of certain combinations of BA and NAA. Phosphate limitation and alterations in the carbon:nitrogen ratio were not able to increase solasodine productivity. Suspension cultures of S. mauritianum were initiated and maintained in a Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium with the RT vitamins of Khanna and Staba (1968), 0.1 g L(-1) myo-inositol, 3% sucrose and 1 mg L(-1) 2,4-D. No solasodine was detectable in these cultures, or slight modifications thereof.