A Chromatographic Study of the Anthraquinones of Rhamnus alaternus L. II. The Anthraquinones Produced in Callus Culture

Abstract

A callus growth of Rhamnus alaternus L. was first established on solid medium from the sliced tips of very young shoots. Further growth of the callus was maintained in shake culture in modified Murashige and Skoog's liquid medium. Extracts of the total aglycones of the callus were compared by thin-layer chromatography with those similarly prepared from the bark. Emodin constituted 60-65% of the total anthraquinone aglycones of the callus compared to about 85-90% of those of the bark. Alaternin constituted about 20%, physcion about 10% and chrysophanol about 5% of those of the callus. Chrysophanol was not detected in the adult bark in which physcion and alaternin were found in about equal proportion.