Abstract: The growth rate of Anisodus acutangulus cells in the submergence culture was 1.5 g dry wt/l/day, a rate 3 times as that in the suspension culture and more than 10 times over that of the solid static culture: However, the contents of hyoscyamine (0.203 mg/g dry wt) and scopolamine (0.178 mg/g dry. wt) in submergence culture were only slightly higher than those in the two other cultures. But when the 12-day-old submergence culture was supplemented with phenylalanine (5m mol/l) and kinetin (0.1mg/l), it was observed that not only the cell growth rate was increased but also the cellular content of hyoscyamine was raised to a level of 0.217 mg/g dry wt., and that scopolamine to 0.412 mg/g dry wt. The contents of these two alkaloids represented 1.1 and 2.3 times respectively the value of the culture without phenylalanine and kinetin supplements. The optimum date for harvesting the A. acutangulus culture Was on the 14th day of the culture. The monomers of hyoscyamine and scopolamine isolated from the cultured cells were purified and recrystalized, and then identifited as the two compounds in question by the thin-layer chromatography, melting point determination, and ultraviolet, infra-red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. In this paper, we also summarize and discuss the results of A. acutangulus culture experiments performed in the past 8 years. Our finding seems to inclieate that following a pilot production trial, the tissue culture method could well be employed to produce hyoscyamine and scopolamine from A. acutangulus cells on an industrial scale.

Key words: Culture of cells, Hyoscyamine and scopolamine, Anisodus acutangulus