Enhanced xanthotoxin content in regenerating cultures of Ammi majus and micropropagation.

Since in Ammi majus the seed set and germination is poor attempts were made to propagate the plants through tissue cultures and monitor the yield of xanthotoxin (furanocoumarin) in the resultant callus and plantlets. The callus from cotyledonary leaves obtained on MS medium supplemented with alpha-indoleacetic acid (IAA) + kinetin (KN) + casein hydrolysate (CH), differentiated shoots in 100 % cultures when adenine was added to the above medium. Plantlets resulted on MS medium with indolebutyric acid (IBA) and glutamine. The yield of xanthotoxin in regenerating cultures was more than hitherto reported from any other tissue including the seeds. Isozymes could be used as reliable markers for the characterization of various stages of growth of callus and regenerants.