Abstract

Carbon and nitrogen status, as well as triterpenoid production were investigated in cell suspension cultures of Betula platyphylla Suk. treated with fungal elicitor. The fungal elicitor was observed to inhibit the cell growth and enhanced triterpenoid production. The maximum triterpenoid production was 123.82 mg·L^-1 DW in the 1-day elicitated cells, which was two fold higher than that of the control. The response of carbon and nitrogen status to the fungal elicitor was 18.62% decreased sucrose, 307.79% decreased soluble proteins, 146.93% increased total soluble sugar, 484.54% increased glucose, slightly increased total amino acids and 906.96% (about 9-fold) increased C/N ratio in the 1-day elicitation, which slowly equals the control with increasing incubation time. These results indicate that changes in carbon and nitrogen status were activated or were partially directed towards triterpenoid production, especially C/N ratio.

Key words: Betula platyphylla Suk., carbon, fungal elicitor, nitrogen, triterpenoid.