1992 Volume 9 Issue 3 Pages 220-226
Constituents of the plant roots of Rubia tinctorum and R. akane were compared by HPLC-photodiode array analyses with those of the corresponding cell suspension cultures. Although, anthraquinones could be identified in the extracts of the plant roots and those of the cell suspension cultures of both plants, not only the proportion of constituents was different between the plant roots and the corresponding cell suspension cultures but also the constituents themselves were different. Mollugin (1) which is a non-anthraquinonyl compound was found only in the extracts of the plant roots. In contrast, amounts of the oxidized anthraquinones i. e. munjistin (16) and pseudopurpurin (18) were greater in the cell suspension cultures.
