Cost Effective Pilot-scale Ajmalicine Production by Catharanthus roseus Cell Suspension Cultures in a 100 Lit Bioreactor

Aims: The cosmic production of biomass and bioactive compounds at pilot scale with minimum production costs is an important task to achieve feasible production process of corresponding secondary metabolites at a commercial level.

Materials and Methods: The cell suspension cultures of Catharanthus roseus in MS medium supplemented with 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (9.05 µM), kinetin (4.52 µM) were scaled up in a pilot plant bioreactor (100 lit). The cost of production was reduced by addition of substitute carbon source in a basal medium which hardly costs 30% in the medium. Preliminary studies were performed in the 7-lit bioreactor. A 100 lit stainless steel bioreactor equipped with helical impeller top mounted was used for scale-up of C. roseus suspension cultures and ajmalicine production.

Results: The culture medium reduced the cost by 36% by addition of commercial grade sugar whereas medium consist of tissue culture grade sucrose costs 53 USD per 100 lit. The suspension cultures were cultivated in a 100 lit bioreactor containing MS medium fortified with cost-effective carbon source produced ajmalicine 73.18 mg/l DW and achieved 36 kg of fresh biomass on day 20.

Conclusion: The results of the present finding demonstrated the feasible and cost-effective production process of ajmalicine at pilot scale.