"EFFECT OF ELICITORS ON THE ENHANCEMENT OF PODOPHYLLOTOXIN BIOSYNTHESIS IN SUSPENSION CULTURES OF LINUM ALBUM "

The possibility of enhancment accumulation of podophyllotoxin (PTOX) has been studied in cultures of cell suspension of Linum album Kotschy ex Boiss. (Linaceae) producing PTOX was studied. Attempts were made to manipulate the biosynthetic pathway of PTOX by some biotic (yeast extract) and abiotic (Ag+, Pb2+ and Cd2+) elicitors for 24 or 48 hr in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Silver significantly enhanced PTOX production up to 0.24 % (mg/g cell dry wt.) in cultures. This effect could be attributed to the inhibitory role of silver on production of ethylene.