Production of acylated anthocyanins by blue flowers of Hyacinthus orientalis regenerated in vitro

Acylated anthocyanins were produced by flowers of Hyacinthus orientalis that had been regenerated in vitro. The anthocyanin production was affected by the concentration of gibberellic acid (GA(3)) and sucrose in Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium and by temperature. The highest concentration of anthocyanin was obtained when the regenerated flowers were cultured for three weeks at 15 degrees on MS medium containing 1 mgl(-1) GA(3) and 30 gl(-1) sucrose. The concentration of anthocyanin in the regenerated flowers was ca 1.2 times higher than that in held-grown flowers. The anthocyanins in the regenerated flowers were compared with those in held-grown flowers by chromatographic and spectroscopic methods, showing that these flowers produce almost the same anthocyanins with a little difference in composition.