Sterol and Triterpene Profiles of the Callus Culture of Solanum mammosum

This study aimed to compare the sterol and triterpene profiles of two types of Solanum mammosum callus cultures, i.e., compact globular structure (CGS) and normal fine (F) calluses. The CGS callus resulted from the differentiation of the F callus culture after many years of subculturing. The growth rate, microscopic characteristics, and morphologies of the two callus types were determined and compared. Sterols and triterpenes were identified through thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography–flame ionization detection, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analyses. The growth rate of the CGS callus was lower than that of the F callus. Microscopic identification revealed that thick, lignin-containing cell walls formed in the CGS callus but not in the F callus. The chromatographic analysis suggested that the CGS and F callus cultures had different sterol and triterpenoid profiles. The sterols and triterpenes produced by the CGC culture were more diverse than those produced by the F callus culture.