FREE TRITERPENOLS AND STEROLS PRODUCED BY INVITRO CULTURES AND LATICIFER CELLS FROM EUPHORBIA-CHARACIAS

The triterpenol constituents of Euphorbia characias subsp. characias latex and of in vitro cultured calli and cells were examined by capillary GLC and mass spectrometry. The capillary GLC triterpenol profile of the petrol extracts obtained from in vitro cultures is completely different from that of the latex. The major triterpenols produced by in vitro cultures are campesterol, sitosterol, Δ5-avenasterol and α-amyrin, as they were identified by mass spectra of their trimethylsililated and acetylated derivatives, while laticifer cells produce lanosterol, a lanosterol isomer, cycloartenol, 24-methylenecycloartanol and another sterol identified as a cycloartenol isomer. © 1982.