Oxidative Stress and Taxol Production Induced by Fungal Elicitor in Cell Suspension Cultures of Taxus Chinensis

Treatment of Taxus chinensis cell suspension cultures with fungal elicitor resulted in an oxidative stress characterized by H2O2 production, malondiadehyde (MDA) accumulation and cell death. This oxidative stress was dependent on the concentration of elicitor. Cells exposed to elicitor accumulated taxol, however, not proportional to elicitor concentration. High production of taxol occurred in cells treated with the suitable elicitor concentration. We concluded that oxidative stress had the deleterious effect on taxol production. Simultaneous treatment with elicitor and ascorbic acid (ASA) changed the oxidative stress and taxol production. Production of taxol in cells treated with 200 mg dm-3 elicitor and ASA was enhanced compared with that in cells treated with only 200 mg dm-3 elicitor, while production of taxol in cells treated with 100 and 50 mg dm-3 elicitor and ASA was decreased compared with that in cells treated with 100 and 50 mg dm-3 elicitor.