Catharanthus roseus cells were cultured in three types of media. These media were: a low sucrose subculture medium and two high sucrose media, each of which differed in their mineral and hormonal contents. The kinetics of tryptophan decarboxylase activity and the accumulations of tryptophan, tryptamine, ajmalicine and serpentine were different in each series but no correlation between maximum enzyme activity and alkaloid contents was observed. Ajmalicine and serpentine productions were unaffected by addition of Trp to the media, whereas addition of secologanin enhanced alkaloid production. The results seem to imply that the terpenoid pathway is the limiting factor in alkaloid production in C. roseus cells.

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Three different strains of CATHARANTHUS ROSEUS cells were compared during one subculture with regard to tryptophan, tryptamine, ajmalicine, serpentine contents and tryptophane decarboxylase (TDC) (4) and Strictosidine synthase activities. The strains differed greatly in their accumulation of tryptamine and alkaloid. The TDC of all three strains showed the highest activity during the growth phase and declined sharply at the end of this phase. On the contrary, strictosidine synthase activity was the lowest during the growth phase and increased distinctly at the same time when the alkaloids were accumulating. By comparing the three strains with each other, no correlation was observed between the values of enzymatic activities and the contents of accumulated alkaloids.

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