Modulation of the phenylpropanoid geranylation step in Anethum graveolens cultured calli by ferulic acid and umbelliferone

In this paper we established the effect on the extent of the geranylation step of selected O-prenyl phenylpropanoids by their biosynthetic precursors (e.g. ferulic acid and umbelliferone) in cultured calli from Anethum graveolens L. Lyophilized vegetable material has been extracted by an overnight maceration with EtOH and 3,3-dimethylallyl, geranyl, and farnesyl derivatives of both ferulic acid and umbelliferone quantified by HPLC analysis coupled to UV/Vis detection. In no case culture media supplemented with the parent molecule provided increases in the biosynthesis of the corresponding prenylated secondary metabolite. Quite surprisingly ferulic acid and umbelliferone exerted opposite effects, the first being an elicitor of the only O-geranylation of phenylpropanoid cores while the latter was seen to largely suppress this biosynthetic step.