Abstract
The composition of the essential oil isolated from Achillea millefolium L. ssp. millefolium cell suspension cultures was analysed by GC and GC-MS. The yield of the oil obtained by hydrodistillation or a simultaneous distillation -extraction of these cultures, harvested at days 8–10 (end of exponential phase), was 0.001 % (w/w). The analysis of the volatiles showed the presence of thirteen components; monoterpenes amounted to 5%, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons attained 40%, while eugenol, demethoxyencecalin and two unidentified compounds amounted to 45% of the total oil. Several methods were tested in an attempt to increase the essential oil production by the cultures: growth on solid medium, growth in light, use of a different culture medium, elicitation with cellulase or yeast extract, and growth in a two-phase system. Of the different methods tested, the growth in B5+ medium with Miglyol 812 led to the highest essential oil yield (0.002%, w/w), and resulted in a more diverse oil composition.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Banthorpe DV & Wirz-Justice A (1972) Terpene biosynthesis. Part VI. Monoterpenes and carotenoids from tissue cultures of Tanacetum L. J. Chem. Soc. Perkin Transactions I 14: 1769–1772
Banthorpe DV, Branch SA, Njar VCO, Osborne MG & Watson DG (1986) Ability of plant callus cultures to synthesize and accumulate lower terpenoids. Phytochemistry 25: 629–636
Becker H, Reichling J, Bisson W & Herold S. (1984) Two phase culture — a new method to yield secondary products from plant suspension cultures. Third European Congress on Biotechnology, Vol 1 (pp 1209–1213). Verlag Chemie, Weinheim
Berger RG, Akkan Z & Drawert F (1990) The essential oil of Coleonema album (Rutaceae) and a photomixotrophic cell culture derived thereof. Z. Naturforsch. 45c: 187–195
Bisson W, Beiderbeck R & Reichling J (1983) Die Produktion ätherischer Öle durch Zellsuspensionen der Kamille in einem Zweiphasensystem. Planta Med. 47: 164–168
Brown JT & Charlwood BV (1986) The accumulation of essential oils by tissue cultures of Pelargonium fragrans Willd. FEBS 204: 117–120
Charlwood BV, Brown JT, Moustou C, Morris GS & Charlwood KA (1988) The accumulation of isoprenoid flavour compounds in plant cell cultures. In: Schreier P (Ed) Bioflavour' 87 Analysis, Biochemistry, Biotechnology (pp 303–314). Walter de Gruyter, Berlin
Collinge M (1986) Ways and means to plant secondary metabolites. Trends in Biotechnol. 4: 299–301
Constabel F (1988) Cytodifferentiation. In: Schreier P (Ed) Bioflavour' 87 Analysis Biochemistry, Biotechnology (pp 315–325). Walter de Gruyter, Berlin
Cotton CM, Gramshaw JW & Evans LV (1991) The effect of α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and benzylaminopurine (BAP) on the accumulation of volatile oil components in cell cultures of tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus). J. Exp. Bot. 42: 377–386
Eilert U (1987) Elicitation: Methodology and aspects of application. In: Vasil IK (Ed) Cell Culture and Somatic Cell Genetics of Plants, Vol 4 (pp 153–196). Academic Press, New York
Ekundayo O, Laakso I & Hiltunen R (1988) Essential oil of Ageratum conyzoides. Planta Med. 54: 55–57
Ernst D (1989) Pimpinella anisum L. (anise): Cell culture, somatic embryogenesis, and production of anise oil. In: Bajaj YPS (Ed) Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, Vol 7 (pp 381–397). Medicinal and Aromatic Plants II. Springer-Verlag, Berlin
Falk KL, Gershenzon J & Croteau R (1990) Metabolism of monoterpenes in cell cultures of common sage Salvia officinalis. Plant Physiol. 93: 1559–1567
Figueiredo AC & Pais MS (1991) Achillea millefolium cell suspension cultures: Establishment and growth conditions. Biotechnology Letters 13: 63–68
Figueiredo AC, Barroso JG, Pais MSS & Scheffer JJC (1992a) Composition of the essential oils from leaves and flowers of Achillea millefolium L. ssp. millefolium. Flavour Fragr. J. 7: 219–222
Figueiredo AC, Barroso JG, Pais MSS & Scheffer JJC (1992b) Composition of the essential oils from two populations of Achillea millefolium L. ssp. millefolium. J. Chromatogr. Sci. 30: 392–395
Gamborg OL, Miller RA & Ojima K (1968) Nutrient requirernents of suspension cultures of soybean root cells. Exp. Cell Res. 50: 151–158
Hunault G, Desmarest P & Du Manoir J (1989) Foeniculum vulgare Miller: Cell culture, regeneration, and the production of anethole. In: Bajaj YPS (Ed) Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, Vol 7 (pp 185–212). Medicinal and Aromatic Plants II. Springer-Verlag, Berlin
Ishikura N (1989) Cryptomeria japonica Don (Japanese cedar): In vitro production of volatile oils. In: Bajaj YPS (Ed) Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, Vol 7 (pp 129–134). Medicinal and Aromatic Plants II. Springer-Verlag, Berlin
Lindsey K & Yeoman MM (1985) Dynamics of plant cell cultures. In: Vasil IK (Ed) Cell Culture and Somatic Cell Genetics of Plants, Vol 2 (pp 61–102). Academic Press, New York
Mantell SH & Smith H (1983) Cultural factors that influence secondary accumulations in plant cell and tissue cultures. In: Plant Biotechnology, Seminar series, Society for Experimental Biology. Cambridge University Press, London
Mulder-Krieger Th, Verpoorte R, Baerheim Svendsen A & Scheffer JJC (1988) Production of essential oils and flavours in plant cell and tissue cultures. A review. Plant Cell Tiss. Org. Cult. 13: 85–154
Murashige T & Skoog F (1962) A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco tissue cultures. Physiol. Plant. 15: 473–497
Onayade OA, Looman A, Scheffer JJC & Baerheim Svendsen A (1989) Precocene I and other constituents of the essential oil of Platostoma africanum. Planta Med. 55: 553–555
Proksch P & Rodriguez E (1983) Chromenes and benzofurans of the Asteraceae, their chemistry and biological significance. Phytochemistry 22: 2335–2348
Schripsema J (1991) Factors involved in the alkaloid production of Tabernaemontana divaricata plant cell suspension cultures, Ph. D. Thesis. Leiden University, Leiden
Werbsuhn G (1990) On the genetic state of cells cultivated in vitro. Biol. Zent. bl. 109: 345–350
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Figueiredo, A.C., Salomé, M., Pais, S. et al. Composition of the essential oil from cell suspension cultures of Achillea millefolium ssp. millefolium . Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 40, 113–118 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00037663
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00037663