Effects of nutrients on anthocyanin production in cultured cells of Aralia cordata

Good results for anthocyanin production in dark-grown calli of Aralia cordata Thunb. were obtained on the addition of sucrose as the carbon source and NH4+ and NO3− at a molar ratio of 1:4 (15 mM total nitrogen). Also, by supplementing NAA as auxin and kinetin as cytokinin, good results were obtained. The anthocyanin yield of high-selected callus cultures was 13.0% maximum dry weight on being cultured for three weeks in darkness. The major anthocyanin, about 70% of the total pigment in the cells, was identified as cyanidin 3-xylosylgalactoside.