Accumulation of indole alkaloids in a suspension culture of Tabernaemontana divaricata.

Cell suspension cultures of TABERNAEMONTANA DIVARICATA were found to produce relatively large amounts of indole alkaloids. For their isolation an ion-pair DCCC method was used in combination with preparative TLC. The alkaloids were identified as tabernaemontanine, perivine, vobasine, voaphylline, voaphylline-hydroxyindolenine, vallesamine, apparicine, 16-hydroxy-16,22-dihydroapparicine, pericyclivine, tubotaiwine, 19- S-heyneanine, and coronaridine. Voaphylline, the main alkaloid, was produced during growth and early stationary phase and reached a maximum of 23 mg/l at day 19 of the growth cycle. After this maximum voaphylline was rapidly metabolized. Apparicine, vobasine, and coronaridine reached their maximum levels at a later stage of the growth cycle. Tubotaiwine accumulation showed a similar profile as that of voaphylline. In light-grown cells the total production was about 2 times higher than in dark-grown cells, with respective main products voaphylline and apparicine.