Articles
INCREASE OF SAPONIN CONTENTS VIA ELICITOR TREATMENTS IN BIOREACTOR CULTURE OF GINSENG (PANAX GINSENG C.A. MEYER) ADVENTITIOUS ROOTS
Article number
679_17
Pages
145 – 148
Language
English
Abstract
Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is one of the most potent medicinal plants and has been used for centuries as a health tonic.
Saponin is considered one of the most important active components in ginseng root, which shows anabolic, adaptogenic, antibiotic, minor hyperglycemic, and anti-cancer activities.
More than 20 different types of saponin have been identified.
Current advances in plant biotechnology allowed production of saponin through adventitious root culture of ginseng in large-scale bioreactors.
However, one problem still to be resolved is the fact that although ginseng adventitious root is an efficient means of saponin production due to fast root growth and stable metabolite productivity, saponin content in cultured ginseng root is still lower than that found in field-cultivated ginseng root.
To increase saponin content, ginseng adventitious roots were cultured in a 20-liter balloon type airlift bioreactor for 40 days followed by different types and concentrations of elicitor treatments: methyl dihydro jasmonate, methyl epi-jasmonate, methyl epi-dihydro jasmonate, jasmonic acid and methyl jasmonate.
Methyl epi-jasmonate (100 µmol) resulted in the highest content of saponin accumulation followed by methyl jasmonate, while methyl dihydro jasmonate was not effective for saponin accumulation.
Based on the results and the price of elicitors, further research is under way to maximize saponin content by applying methyl jasmonate.
Saponin is considered one of the most important active components in ginseng root, which shows anabolic, adaptogenic, antibiotic, minor hyperglycemic, and anti-cancer activities.
More than 20 different types of saponin have been identified.
Current advances in plant biotechnology allowed production of saponin through adventitious root culture of ginseng in large-scale bioreactors.
However, one problem still to be resolved is the fact that although ginseng adventitious root is an efficient means of saponin production due to fast root growth and stable metabolite productivity, saponin content in cultured ginseng root is still lower than that found in field-cultivated ginseng root.
To increase saponin content, ginseng adventitious roots were cultured in a 20-liter balloon type airlift bioreactor for 40 days followed by different types and concentrations of elicitor treatments: methyl dihydro jasmonate, methyl epi-jasmonate, methyl epi-dihydro jasmonate, jasmonic acid and methyl jasmonate.
Methyl epi-jasmonate (100 µmol) resulted in the highest content of saponin accumulation followed by methyl jasmonate, while methyl dihydro jasmonate was not effective for saponin accumulation.
Based on the results and the price of elicitors, further research is under way to maximize saponin content by applying methyl jasmonate.
Authors
K.-Y. Paek, E.-J. Hahn
Keywords
elicitation, liquid cultures, secondary metabolites
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