**6. Biological effect of SMt isolated from cell cultures of** *Galphimia glauca*

*Galphimia glauca* is widely used in Mexican traditional medicine. From this species, some triterpenes such as Galphimine-A, B and E (**27**) have been isolated. These compounds showed a neuroprotective effect, when these were evaluated in mice convulsions model. To induce the seizure, the authors used strychnine or pentylenetratrazole administered by i.p. or subcutaneous route. In the study's results, the depressor effects observed on motor activity directed toward an objective or an aim [143]. The pharmacological effect of galphimine B (G-B) was due to selectively inhibiting the discharge of dopaminergic neurons in the central area in *in-vivo* models [144]. Due to its therapeutic importance of G-B, the authors proceeded to induce the production of this homogeneous raw material through a biotechnological process.

A first step was to obtain callus from hypocotyl explants in MS medium for 30 days with a combination of NAA and KIN; under these conditions, only great cell growth was obtained, and with 2,4-D at 4 mg/L the G-B production was stimulated with a yield of 0.154 mg/g DW. In addition, under this condition, G-E was also obtained but at less concentration (0.057 mg/g DW). Also, friable callus from suspension culture in MS medium with NAA and KIN (2:2 mg/L) was obtain, denominating this line as ggxl. By means of a growth kinetic, galphimines were shown to be produced in the culture's stationary stage [83, 145]. The next step was to carry out the scaling of galphimine production in the 5-liter *airlift* bioreactor and in one with mechanical stirring; the growth indices were 11.66 and 1.7, respectively. However, the authors observed that neither the biomass production, nor the time exerted an influence on the yield of G-B. Because the *airlift* produced a greater biomass but with lower yield of G-B (255 mg/L), while the stirring bioreactor at day 10 shown an intracellular as well as an extracellular content of 1381 mg of G-B/L, 5.4-times higher than the *airlift* at day 25 [146]. Once the biotechnological conditions for the production of G-B were established, this allowed having raw material to carry out the pharmacological evaluation in different models.
