Ultrastructural changes and diosgenin content in cell suspensions of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. by ethylene treatment

This paper studies the effect of different concentrations of ethephon (an ethylene releasing compound) on the level of the steroidal sapogenin diosgenin in cell suspensions of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. The results reveal that diosgenin synthesis and/or accumulation was stimulated by 5 ppm ethephon treatment, an increase of 126% being observed, while concentrations of 25 ppm and 50 ppm reduced the levels of this secondary compound. Changes in the isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase activity, increased cell diameter, decreased cell packing (with all the ethephon concentrations assayed), increased cytoplasmic density (5 ppm ethephon treatment) and alterations in the membrane structures (25 and 50 ppm ethephon treatments) were also observed.