ENHANCEMENT OF TESSARIC ACID PRODUCTION IN TESSARIA ABSINTHIOIDES CELL SUSPENSION CULTURES

The total production of the sesquiterpene tessaric acid (TA) by cell cultures of Tessaria absinthioides at day 25 of the culture period reached 0.086 mg g−1 DW, with intracellular accumulation accounting for 0.059 mg g−1 DW. Dimethylsulfoxide-induced permeabilization of the cells effected both total production and extracellular accumulation of the sesquiterpene to reach levels of 148% and 271%, respectively. Cultures treated with elicitor preparations of Verticillum sp., Monodyctis cataneae, Acremonium sp., and Aspergillus niger produced TA at levels of 281%, 197%, 149%, and 139%, respectively. Treatment of cell suspension cultures with cis-(-)-jasmonic acid (5 μM) increased production to 267%, whereas jasmonic acid pretreatment and subsequent elicitation raised external tessaric acid to 702%.