Jamesoniella autumnalis (Liverwort): Culture and Production of Metabolites

Abstract

Liverworts are known to be a rich source of natural products (Zinsmeister et al. 1991; Asakawa 1995). A remarkable number of bioactive compounds have been described so far from this plant category (Asakawa 1990). Since less than 5 To of known species have been phytochemically investigated in detail, one may expect that quite a few interesting substances remain to be isolated. However, the analysis of a large number of species is hindered by the difficulty in obtaining sufficient amounts of plant material for isolating and testing components for potential biological and pharmacological activity. The small size and the fact that liverworts grow mixed with other bryophytes make their purification a difficult and time-consuming task. Furthermore, numerous species can usually be obtained only in small amounts from their natural habitats. In addition to these diffculties, there is the problem that many of them are spread over wide areas and occur only in small populations, making it quite impossible to obtain sufficient plant material from field collections for a detailed chemical analysis. Furthermore, the bryophyte locations, especially in the tropics, are often accessible only with difficulty. Field cultivation of bryophytes similar to that of higher plants is not practicable; even if the required ecological conditions were created, mixed populations would result.