The effects of medium composition on biomass, sterols and triterpenols production by in-vitro cultures of Euphorbia characias

Calli of Euphorbia characias L. maintained on Murashige-Skoog (MS) medium (1962, Physiol. Plant., 15, 473-97) were grown on 20 other basal media. The highest callus biomass production was obtained on half-strength MS and the lowest on Cambell-Durzan medium (1975, Can. J. Bot., 53, 1652-6). Independently of the culture medium used, calli produced campesterol, β-sitosterol, Δ 5- avenasterol and α-amyrin. The Gautheret medium (1942, Manuel Technique de Culture des Tissus Vegetaux, Masson Cie, Paris) was the most effective for the production of sterols and α-amyrin. The increase in sucrose supplementation increased callus biomass production but decreased the specific sterols and triterpenols content/dry weight. The increase in sucrose increased the specific phenolics content. The specific sterols and triterpenols content of in-vitro cultures increased during the exponential phase of biomass growth.