Isolation of tomatine from cultured excised roots and callus tissues of tomato

Tomatine was present in cultured excised tomato roots but in lower concentrations than in seedling radicles of the same age. The alkaloid was not detected in 'spent' root medium. Newly-initiated callus cultures of hypocotyl, radicle and cotyledon origin produced roots, and tomatine was isolated from both roots and callus. Roots contained more tomatine than callus, but neither contained as much as the organ explants from which the cultures were initiated. The number of roots produced decreased with time, as did also the tomatine content of the callus tissues. After 447 days, when no organized structures were produced by callus cultures, tomatine was not detected. An established hypocotyl callus contained small amounts of tomatine when grown on certain nutrient media, but a chlorophyllous sub-isolate of this callus did not produce detectable quantities of the alkaloid. Tomatine was not detected in an established root callus isolate or in suspension cultures initiated from established, tomatine-containing hypocotyl callus.