Elicitation of plant in vitro cultures represents a biotechnological tool to improve the production of secondary metabolites. In this study, the effect of AgNO3 and CdCl2 on the sanguinarine production by the suspension culture of Eschscholtzia californica CHAM. was investigated. Elicitors were added to the cultures at the 14th day of subcultivation and their effect on the sanguinarine production was evaluated after a 48 h exposure. AgNO3 at the concentration of 0.075 mmol.l-1 and CdCl2 at the concentration of 4 mmol.l-1 induced a ca. 5.2- and 5.6-multiple increase in sanguinarine synthesis, respectively. This amount represents probably the maximal production, because a further increase in the elicitors concentrations did not increase sanguinarine production. Both abiotic elicitors induced a polyphenol oxidase specific activity increase. Polyphenol oxidase is probably involved in the biosynthesis of sanguinarine at the level of dopamine formation. Dopamine is a precursor of (S)-norcoclaurine, the first intermediate with the benzylisoquinoline structure.