Ethephon Enhancement of Secondary Metabolite Synthesis in Plant Cell Cultures

Abstract

Abstract Addition of an ethylene precursor, ethephon, was studied in plant‐cell‐suspension cultures of Coffea arabica and Thalictrum rugosum as an enhancer of secondary metabolite production. In both cases the compound was able to stimulate alkaloid production, even though the biochemical pathways are widely different. This suggests that ethephon, or more directly ethylene, may be valuable in increasing secondary metabolite levels in a variety of cell‐suspension culture systems.