LIGNANS IN CELL-CULTURES OF PICEA-GLEHNII

A suspension culture derived from the seedling leaves of Picea glehnii accumulated two lignans, pinoresinol and trans-dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol. The enantiometric compositions of pinoresinol [(+)-isomer/(-)isomer:0.57] and dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol [(+)-2R,3S-isomer/(-)-2S,3R-isomer:0.21] from the cells were determined by HPLC analysis using a chiral column. Peroxidase activity that catalysed the oxidative coupling of coniferyl alcohol was detected in the cell-free extracts of 28-day-old cells (K-Pi buffer, pH 7.39). The cell-free extracts formed the racemic forms of lignans.