To analyze the involvement of the octadecanoic (OCDA) pathway in the accumulation of sanguinarine induced by yeast extract (YE) in cell suspension cultures of Argemone mexicana (Papaveraceae). Exposure to YE promoted sanguinarine accumulation. This was not observed when they were exposed to methyl jasmonate (MeJa). Use of diethyldithiocarbamic acid (DIECA), an inhibitor of the OCDA pathway, resulted in partial impairment of this response. Exogenous application of MeJa did not reverse this effect in DIECA-exposed cultures. qRT-PCR revealed that the accumulation of transcripts corresponding to the berberine bridge enzyme gene, which was induced by YE exposure, was blocked by OCDA pathway and reversed by exogenous MeJa. Interestingly, this response pattern could not be observed on dihydrobenzophenanthridine oxidase enzyme activity, which was promoted by YE, but unaffected by either OCDA or MeJa. Results suggest partial involvement of OCDA pathway in this response.