THE QUINOLINE ALKALOIDS CAMPTOTHECIN AND 9-METHOXYCAMPTOTHECIN FROM TISSUE-CULTURES AND MATURE TREES OF NOTHAPODYTES FOETIDA

Tissue cultures of the indigenous tree Nothapodytes foetida were established from immature embryos on Murashige and Skoog's agar medium supplemented with different auxins and cytokinins. The embryos developed unorganized callus tissues in medium containing BA + 2,4-D. BA + NAA medium promoted multiple shoot development. Kn + NAA. and Kn + IAA in the medium favoured plantlet formation. The cultures showed the presence pf both camptothecin and 9-methoxycamptothecin, the major alkaloids of the parent plant. In the mature tree, the alkaloids were found in the shoots (camptothecin 0.075% dry weight, 9-methoxycamptothecin 0.013% dry weight) and in the seeds (camptothecin 0.050% dry weight and 9-methoxycamptothecin 0.060% dry weight). The differentiated plantlet cultures showed slightly higher amounts of 9-methoxycamptothecin (0.0007% dry weight) than the undifferentiated callus cultures (0.0001% dry weight).