Biosynthesis of salicylic acid in fungus elicited Catharanthus roseus cells

Feeding experiments using [1-13C]-d-glucose to Catharanthus roseus (L.) G.Don cell suspension cultures were performed in order to study the salicylic acid (SA) biosynthetic pathway and that of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA) as a comparison. Relatively high- and non-symmetrical enrichment ratios at C-2 and C-6, and a lower enrichment ratio at C-7 were observed in both SA and 2,3-DHBA detected by 13C NMR inverse gated spectrometry leading to the conclusion that the isochorismate pathway is responsible for the biosynthesis of both compounds rather than the phenylpropanoid pathway.