Caffeine Formation in Tea Callus Tissue

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Abstract
Callus tissue derived from segments of the stems of the tea plant produced caffeine. The caffeine was found in the tissue and was also present in the growth medium. The amount of caffeine varied with the duration and conditions of growth of the callus. Theobromine was also produced by the callus. The methylated purines appeared during the latter half of the period of the rapid phase of growth. It is probable that the caffeine was formed by those cells nearing the end of growth, maybe when the cells were autolysing. Suspensions of cells which were mechanically broken in a phosphate buffer at pH 7.2 produced more caffeine during incubation at 26 °C. If the autolysates were supplemented with RNA and methionine the amount of caffeine produced could be increased. It is suggested that the caffeine is formed during the catabolic breakdown of nucleic acids rather than directly from the pathways of purine synthesis.

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