Maytenus ilicifolia (Celastraceae) showed the accumulation of quinonamethide triterpenes, which constitute a class of secondary metabolites with comproved biological activity. Dealing on the obtention of these metabolites in a large concentration, protocol to establish cell tissue culture of Maytenus ilicifolia was developed. In order to evaluate the lightly influence under cell tissue cultures growing in the same conditions of temperature and humidity, besides the influence of different types of flasks over the accumulation of these metabolites were done. The accumulation of these metabolites with comproved biological activity showed 100 and 3 times higher to 20alpha-hidroxymaytenin and maytenin, respectively, and showed that the in vitro system should be an excellent tool to the production, in large scale, of these bioactive metabolites.
Maytenus ilicifolia; Celastraceae; cell tissue culture; quinonamethide triterpenes
