Abstract:

The aim was to analyze the relation of nitric oxide (NO) and triterpenoid production. Sodium nitrite and arginine were added in the eight-day-old birch suspension cell culture, the change of triterpene content and NO content were analyzed by chemical colorimetry and fluorescence microscopy. NO and triterpenoid content were increased by 500 μg/L and 100 μg/L sodium nitrite and arginine, and the higher increasing was induced by 500 μg/L sodium nitrite and arginine. The content of NO and triterpenoid in birch cells induced by 500 μg/L sodium nitrite was higher than that of 500 μg/L arginine, the increasing rate of triterpenoid was 1.5 times. Inhibitor of NaN3 and L-NAME decreased the effect of sodium nitrite and arginine on the biosynthesis of NO and triterpenoid, the content of NO and triterpenoid were near to the level of control. These results preliminary indicated that NR and NOS were involved in triterpenoids biosynthesis in birch suspension culture, and NR may be play an important role in triterpenoids biosynthesis.