Production of diosgenin by hairy root cultures of Trigonella foenum-graecum L

Hairy root cultures of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. were established with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain A4. The hairy roots produce diosgenin, an important spirostanol for the semi-synthesis of steroid hormones. Fourteen different liquid media were investigated. The fastest growth was obtained in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plant cell reports 1997-06, Vol.16 (9), p.632-636
Main Authors: Merkli, A, Christen, P, Kapetanidis, I
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
biosynthesis
Biotechnology
cell growth
chitosan
cholesterol
culture media
cultured cells
diosgenin
Eukaryotic cell cultures
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
genetic transformation
Methods. Procedures. Technologies
Miscellaneous
Plant cells and fungal cells
quantitative analysis
Rhizobium rhizogenes
roots
secondary metabolites
transgenic plants
Trigonella foenum-graecum
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Summary:Hairy root cultures of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. were established with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain A4. The hairy roots produce diosgenin, an important spirostanol for the semi-synthesis of steroid hormones. Fourteen different liquid media were investigated. The fastest growth was obtained in McCown's woody plant (WP) medium supplemented with 3% sucrose; the highest diosgenin content was observed in half-strength WP medium with 1% sucrose (0.040% dry weight), which represents almost twice the amount detected in the 8-month-old non-transformed roots (0.024%). A time-course study in WP liquid media supplemented with 3% sucrose was undertaken. In these conditions, 17 micrograms diosgenin/g fresh weight were produced. The influence of cholesterol, medium pH and chitosan on diosgenin production was tested. The addition of 40 mg/l chitosan elevated the diosgenin content to three times that found in non-elicited hairy roots.
ISSN:0721-7714
1432-203X
DOI:10.1007/BF01275505