Effect of 5-Azacytidine on the Formation of Secondary Metabolites in Catharanthus roseus Cell Suspension Cultures

Abstract

A cell suspension culture of Catharanthus roseus was treated during the growth phase with the nucleoside analogue 5-azacytidine, a powerful inducer of cell differentiation, as evidenced with animal and human cell lines. After induction the cell culture was further incubated in a production medium in the absence of the inducer for 10 days. The extraction of the freeze dried cells and analysis by high performance liquid chromatography showed an additional intense peak in the elution profile, not present in extracts of untreated cells. The structure of the newly synthesized metabolite, elucidated by mass spectrometry and 1H and 13C NMR, was a lignan type compound, lirioresinol B mono-β-D-glucoside. This compound has hitherto not been found in Catharanthus roseus plants or cell cultures.