Temporary immersion systems for Amaryllidaceae alkaloids biosynthesis by Pancratium maritimum L. shoot culture

The alkaloid patterns of sea daffodil (Pancratium maritimum L.) shoot culture, cultivated in a temporary immersion cultivation system were investigated. The shoots accumulated maximal amounts of biomass (0.8 g dry biomass/L and Growth Index?=?1.6) at immersion frequency with 15 min flooding and 12 h stand-by periods. At this regime P. maritimum shoots achieved the highest degree of utilization of carbon source. Twenty-two alkaloids, belonging to narciclasine, galanthamine, haemanthamine, lycorine, montanine, tazettine, homolycorine and tyramine types were identified in intracellular and extracellular alkaloid extracts. The immersion frequency affected strongly the capacity of alkaloid biosynthesis in P. maritimum shoots and at the optimum conditions of cultivation, the total intracellular alkaloid content reached up to 3,469 μg/g dry biomass. The main biosynthesized alkaloids were haemanthamine (900.1 μg/g) and lycorine (799.9 μg/g). The obtained results proved that temporary immersion technology, as a cultivation approach, and P. maritimum shoots, as a biological system, are prospective for producing wide range bioactive alkaloids.