Effects of plant growth regulators on the growth and pyrethrin production by cell cultures of Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium

Abstract

A simple, rapid method for the direct determination of six pyrethrin esters in plant cell extracts by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection has been described. Cell cultures of Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium Vis. have been studied for alternative in vitro production of pyrethrins. This paper focuses on the influence of phytohormones, mainly the nature and concentration of auxins and cytokinins and the concentration of abscisic acid and gibberellic acid, on both pyrethrin yield and cell growth. All phytohormones maintain both growth and integrity of cells and influence pyrethrin accumulation and, in some cases, the relative amount of each ester. There is no straightforward relationship between plant regulator action on growth and secondary metabolite production. Indole-3-acetic acid and (±)-cis-trans-abscisic acid were found to induce the highest production, i.e. 300 and 450 mg 100 g ^–1 dry weight, respectively.