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

A cell suspension culture o f Catharanthus roseus was trea ted during the grow th phase w ith the nucleoside analogue 5-azacytidine, a powerful inducer o f cell d ifferen tia tion , as evidenced w ith animal and hum an cell lines. After induction the cell cu lture was fu rth er incubated in a production m edium in the absence o f the inducer for 10 days. T he extraction o f the freeze dried cells and analysis by high perform ance liquid ch rom atography show ed an add itional intense peak in the elution profile, not present in extracts o f un trea ted cells. T he struc tu re o f the newly synthesized m etabolite, elucidated by mass spectrom etry and 'H and 13C N M R , was a lignan type compound, lirioresinol B mono-/?-D-glucoside. This com pound has h ith e rto not been found in Catharanthus roseus plants or cell cultures.