Production of hypericin, pseudohypericin and flavonoids in cell cultures of various Hypericum species and their chemotypes.

Suspension cultures were established from the shoots of sterile germinated seeds of various provenances of seven Hypericum (H.) species in a half strength modified Murashige and Skoog liquid medium. In most strains of H. perforatum (18 provenances) and all strains of H. maculatum (6 provenances) as well as in the cultures of H. tomentosum, H. bithynicum, H. glandulosum and H. balearicum, hypericin and pseudohypericin could be proven, however, in extremely varying amounts. In general, the pseudohypericin content was significantly higher than that of hypericin. The flavonoid patterns, comprising monomeric quercetin derivatives and dimeric apigenin derivatives, varied among strains over a wide range.