Characterization of lucidin formation in Rubia tinctorum L.

In order to approach lucidin formation (a strong mutagen or a carcinogen) from a physiological standpoint, hairy roots of Rubia tinctorum L. were established by a transformation of Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain 15834 and cultured in a liquid woody plant medium without plant hormones. The anthraquinone pigment composition of the intact hairy roots was essentially the same as that of the intact non-transformed (normal) roots, in which lucidin O-beta-D-primeveroside (LuP) was one of the major pigments.