Ginsenoside content in suspension cultures of Panax quinquefolium L. cultivated in shake flasksand stirred-tank bioreactor

Plant suspension cultures are described as a source for the acquisition of medicinal secondary metabolites which in the future may become an alternative to traditional raw materials. This study demonstrates that the cell cultures of one of the ginseng species – Panax quinquefolium L. synthesize ginsenosides, which are triterpene saponins having a multidirectional pharmacological effects. Tested suspension cultures were run on a small scale in the shake flasksand in scale up of the process in a 10-liter stirred tank. In the shake flasks,the highest biomass yield (2.28 gl-1 for dry and 33.99 gl-1 for fresh weight) was reached on day 30 of culture, and the highest content of saponins (2.66 mg g -1 dw) was determined on day 28 of culture. In the bioreactor, nearly 2.67 and 3-fold increase of respectively dry and fresh biomass was recorded in relation to the inoculum. Large-scale cultures synthesized protopanaxatriol derivatives such as Rg1 and Re ginsenosides, however, no saponins belonging to the protopanaxadiol derivatives were reported.