The production of acetate derived hydroxyanthraquinones, -dianthrones, -naphthalenes and -benzenes in tissue cultures from Rumex alpinus.

Tissue cultures set up from roots of Rumex alpinus L. were grown on Murashige and Skoog's medium with kinetin and either 2,4-D or NAA as growth factors. The 2,4-D cultures produced a broader spectrum of hydroxyanthracene, hydroxynaphthalene and hydroxybenzene derivatives than the NAA cultures. In the 2,4-D cultures the anthraquinones chrysophanol, physcion and emodin, the dianthrones of chrysophanol and physcion and their heterodianthrone and the monoglucoside of chrysophanol were identified. Also the naphthaiene-1,8-diols nepodin, nepodinmonoglucoside and methoxynepodin have been identified. The occurrence of 2-acetylorcinol and its monoglucoside was also established. In the NAA cultures accumulation of only chrysophanol, physcion and 2-acetylorcinol could be proved. The yields of these secondary metabolites produced in the NAA cultures were determined to be much lower than those produced by the 2,4-D cultures.