This paper summarizes progress made in using Larrea divaricata Cav, cell cultures for the production of the cytotoxic lignan nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) and the phenylpropanoids p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid and sinapyl alcohol. In order to improve the biomass formation and production of these phenolic compounds, four precursors (L-phenylalanine, cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, and sinapic acid) were fed to L. divaricata cell cultures. Feeding L-phenylalanine(0.5, 1 and 3 mM) resulted in an increase of NDGA of up to 301.35 +/- 1.19, 285.23 +/- 28.44 and 190.53 +/- 19.50 mu g/g DW. The addition of 0.5 mu M cinnamic acid enhanced the cell culture growth, but not the NDGA production. When cinnamic acid (1 and 1.5 mu M), ferulic acid (0.1, 0.5 and 1 mM) and sinapic acid (0.1, 0.5 and 1 mM) were added, the media became too toxic for the cells, and the production of NDGA and the phenylpropanoids was suppressed. The content of p-coumaric acid in the medium supplemented with 3 mM L-phenylalanine increased from 47.43 +/- 9.01 to 1157.28 +/- 47.79 mu g/g DW, whereas the sinapyl alcohol content was not affected by any of the precursors tested, presenting similar values to the control medium. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.