Evaluation of limonoid production in suspension cell culture of Citrus sinensis

AbstractThe use of cell and plant tissue culture techniques to produce economically important active metabolites has been growing. Among these substances are total limonoid aglycones, which are produced by “pera” orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck, Rutaceae) and have received considerable attention because of their anticancer actions. The main objective of the present study was to analyze and compare the levels of limonoid aglycones in seeds, callus cultures (originating from seeds), callus cultures (originating from hypocotyls), cell suspensions from hypocotyls cells, and cell suspensions from cotyledons. The cell cultures or C. sinensis were obtained by inoculating two strains of callus in MS medium supplemented with 2.0μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 7.0μM benzyl aminopurine, and 3% (w/v) sucrose in the dark. The highest concentrations of limonoid aglycone that were obtained were observed in cotyledon cell lines (240mg/100g dry weight) that were produced on day 21 of culture and hypocotyl cell lines on day 7 (210mg/100g dry weight). Explants of different origins under the same culture conditions had different limonoid aglycone content. The present results may suggest strategies for enhancing the productivity of biologically important limonoid aglycones and investigating the complex pathways of these secondary metabolites in plant tissue cultures