Abstract: Callus from vegetative organs of Camptotheca acuminata were induced and subcultured, different callus were also screened out, and their contents of camptothecin(CPT) were determined by HPLC. We studied the effects on CPT by putting elicitors on culture medium. The CPT content in callus from leaf was higher than the others, and the CPT contents of red and yellow callus from any organs were higher than that of the brown callus. However, in the whole, the CPT contents in callus were far lower than that in the plant. Elicitors in culture medium had the effects on CPT content in the callus. CPT content in callus was increased by 0.1 mg·L^-1, 1 mg·L^-1 salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate, 0.1 mg·L^-1 salicylic acid obviously accelerated the accumulation of CPT, and the effect of methyl jasmonate was little. While the CPT contents in callus was decreased by 3 mg·L^-1 salicylic acid and 5 mg·L^-1 and methyl jasmonate, and there was no CPT in callus by 5 mg·L^-1 methyl jasmonate.

Key words: Camptotheca acuminata, camptothecin(CPT), callus, salicylic acid(SA), methyl jasmonate(MJ)