Stimulation of anthraquinone production in suspension cultures of Cassia acutifolia by salt stress.

Suspension cultures of Cassia acutifolia were established by transferring callus tissues derived from root, hypocotyl and cotyledon explants onto liquid MS-medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/l 2.4-D and 0.1 mg/l kinetin and containing increasing levels of NaCl. The stress induced by salt NaCl raised anthraquinone content and reduced growth of cultures. The levels of anthraquinones and their glycosides as sennosides showed distinct changes in cells and media as well as in the different cultures initiated from various explants. Furthermore, the salt stress tended to affect more drastically the productivity of anthraquinones in hypocotyl and cotyledon cell cultures than in root cultures.