Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The problems associated with high biomass levels in plant cell suspensions

  • Published:
Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The development of plant cell cultures as an alternative supply of phytochemicals has been difficult. Although there has been some very suitable targets, the yields of these compounds has remained low despite considerable efforts. One of the main constituents of a process is its productivity which is the sum of the process run time (growth rate), yield, and biomass levels. The effect of changes in all three of these components on productivity has been demonstrated.

Of the three components making up productivity, biomass is perhaps the easiest to increase. However, high biomass levels will increase the viscosity, which will affect both mixing and oxygen supply. Therefore, this will require more vigorous mixing which may increase the shear within the bioreactor. All these parameters need further investigation at high biomass concentrations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alfermann AW, Bergmann W, Figur C, Helmhold U, Schwantag D, Schuller I & Reinhard E (1983) Biotransformation of B-methydigitoxin to B-methyldigoxin by cell cultures ofDigitalis lanata. In: Mantell SH & Smith H (Eds) Plant Biotechnology (pp 67–74). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Ballica R, Ryu DDY, Powell RL & Owen D (1992) Rheological properties of plant cell suspensions. Biotec. Progress 8: 413–420

    Google Scholar 

  • Berlin J (1988) Formation of secondary metabolites in cultured plant cells and its impact on pharmacy. In: Bajaj YPS (Ed) Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, Vol 4 (pp 37–59). Springer-Verlag, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Breuling M, Alfermann AW & Reinhard E (1985) Cultivation of cell cultures ofBerberis wilsoniae in 20 l airlift bioreactors. Plant Cell Rep. 4: 220–223

    Google Scholar 

  • Buitelaar RM & Tramper J (1992) Strategies to improve the production of secondary metabolites with plant cell cultures: a literature review. J. Biotech. 23: 111–141

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtin ME (1983) Harvesting profitable products from plant tissue culture. Biotechnology 1: 649–657

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtis WR & Emery AH (1993) Plant cell suspension rheology. Biotech. Bioeng. 42: 520–526

    Google Scholar 

  • Fujita Y (1988) Industrial production of shikonin and berberine. In: Ciba Foundation Symposium 137 Applications of Plant Cell & Tissue Culture (pp 228–238). Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Fujita Y & Tabata M (1987) Secondary metabolites from plant cells-pharmaceutical application and progress in commercial production. In: Green CE, Somers DA, Hackett WP & Biesboer DD (Eds) Plant Tissue and Cell Culture (pp 169–185). Alan R. Liss Inc., New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Hooker BS, Lee JM & An G (1989) Response of plant tissue culture to a high shear environment. Enzyme Microb. Technol. 11: 484–490

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogue RS, Lee JM & An G (1990) Production of a foreign protein product with genetically modified plant cells. Enzyme Microb. Technol. 12: 533–538

    Google Scholar 

  • Hippolyte I, Marin B, Baccou JC & Jonard R (1992) Growth and rosmarinic acid production in cell suspension cultures ofSalvia officinalis L. Plant Cell Rep. 11: 109–112

    Google Scholar 

  • Jolicoeur M, Chavarre C, Carreau PJ & Archambault J (1992) Development of a helical-ribbon impeller bioreactor for high density plant cell suspension culture. Biotech. Bioeng. 39: 511–521

    Google Scholar 

  • Kato K, Kowazoe S & Soh Y (1978) Viscosity of the broth of tobacco cells in suspension culture. J. Ferm. Technol. 56: 224–228

    Google Scholar 

  • Kato Y, Usumi N, Kimura T, Honda H & Kobayashi Y (1991) Enhancement of peroxidase production and excretion from horseradish hairy roots by light, NaCl & peroxidase adsorption in situ. Plant Tissue Lett. 8: 158–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobayashi Y, Fukui H & Tabata M (1988) Berberine production by batch and semi-continuous cultures of immobilizedThalictrum cells in an improved bioreactor. Plant Cell Rep. 7: 249–253

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee CWT & Shuler ML (1991) Different shake flask closures alter gas phase composition and ajmalicine production inCatharanthus roseus cell suspension. Biotech. Techniques 5: 173–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Levin R, Gaba V, Tal B, Hirsch S, Denola D & Vasil IK (1988) Automated plant tissue culture for mass propagation. Biotechnology 6: 1035–1040

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipsky AKh (1992) Problems of optimisation of plant cell culture process. J. Biotec. 26: 83–97

    Google Scholar 

  • Markx GH, ten Hoopen HJG, Meijer JJ & Vinke KL (1991) Dielectric spectroscopy as a novel tool for the study of the shear sensitivity of plant cells in suspension culture. J. Biotec. 19: 145–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Matsubara K, Yamada Y, Kitani S, Yoshioka T, Morimoto T & Fujita Y (1989) High density cultureCoptis japonica cells increases berberine production. J. Chem. Tech. Biotechnol. 46: 61–69

    Google Scholar 

  • Panda AK, Mishra S, Bisarra VS & Bhojwani SS (1989) Plant cell reactors—a perspective. Enzyme Microb. Tech. 11: 386–397

    Google Scholar 

  • Park JM, Hu W-S & Staba EJ (1989) Cultivation ofArtemisia annua L. plantlets in a bioreactor containing a single carbon and nitrogen source. Biotech. Bioeng. 34: 1209–1213

    Google Scholar 

  • Park JM, Yoon SY, Giles KL, Songstad DD Eppstein D, Novakovski D, Friesen L & Roewer I (1992) Production of sanguinarine by suspension culture ofPapaver somniferum in bioreactors. J. Ferm. Bioeng. 74: 292–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Sahai O & Knuth M (1985) Commercializing plant tissue culture processe: Economics, problems and prospects. Biotec. Progress 1: 1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlatmann JE, Moreno PRH, ten Hoopen HJG, Verpoorte R & Heijnen JJ (1994) Gas exchange: a key factor in secondary metabolite production. In: Macek T & Vanek T (Eds) Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture in Liquid Media (pp 53–55). Abstracts of Meeting, Prague

  • Scragg AH, Morris P, Allan EJ, Bond P & Fowler MW (1987) Effect of scale-up on serpentine formation byCatharanthus roseus suspension cultures. Enzyme Microb. Technol. 9: 619–624

    Google Scholar 

  • Scragg AH, Allan EJ & Leckie F (1988) Effect of shear on the viability of plant cell suspensions. Enzyme Microb. Technol. 10: 362–367

    Google Scholar 

  • Scragg AH (1992) Bioreactors for the mass cultivation of plant cells. In: Fowler MW & Warren GS (Eds) Plant Biotechnology Suppl. Comprehensive Biotechnology (pp 45–62). Pergamon Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Signs MW & Flores HE (1990) The biosynthetic potential of plant roots. BioEssays 12: 7–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Su WW & Humphrey AE (1993) Perfusion strategy for rosmarinic acid production byAnchusa officinalis. Biotech. Bioeng. 42: 884–890

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka H (1981) Technological problems in cultivation of plant cells at high density. Biotech. Bioeng. 23: 1203–1218

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka H (1982) Oxygen transfer in broths of plant cells at high density. Biotec. Bioeng. 24: 425–442

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka H (1987) Large-scale cultivation of plant cells at high density: A review. Process Biochemistry Aug. 106–113

  • Ulbrich B, Wiesner W & Arens H (1985) Large-scale production of rosmarinic acid from plant cell cultures ofColeus blumei Benth. In: Deus-Neumann B, Barz W & Reinhard E (Eds) Secondary Metabolism of Plant Cell Culture (pp 293–303). Springer-Verlag, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Verpoorte R, van der Heijden R, Schriprsema J, Hoge JHC & ten Hoopen HJG (1993) Plant cell biotechnology for the production of alkaloids: Present status and prospects. J. Nat. Prod. 56: 186–207

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner F. & Vogelmann H (1977) Cultivation of plant tissue cultures in bioreactors and formation of secondary products. In: Barz W, Reinhard E & Zenk MH (Eds) Plant Tissue Culture and Its Biotechnological Application (pp 245–252). Springer Verlag, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamakawa T, Kato S, Ishida K, Kodama T & Minoda Y (1993) Production of anthocyanins byVitis cells in suspension culture. Agric. Biol. Ghem. 47: 2185–2191

    Google Scholar 

  • Zenk MH, El-Shagi E, Arens H, Stockigt J, Weiler EW & Deus B (1977) Formation of the indole alkoloids serpentine and ajmalicine in suspension cultures ofCatharanthus roseus. In: Barz W, Reinhard E & Zenk MH (Eds) Plant Tissue Culture and Its Biotechnological Applications (pp 27–43). Springer-Verlag, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Zenk MH, El-Shagi H & Shulte U (1985) Anthraquinone production by cell suspension cultures ofMorinda citrifolia. Planta Medica Suppl. 79–101

  • Zhong JJ, Konstantinov KB & Yoshida T (1994) Gomputer-aided on-line monitoring of physiological variables in suspended cell cultures ofPerilla frutescens in a bioreactor. J. Ferm. Bioeng. 77: 445–447

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Applied Science, University of the West of England, Frenchay, BS 16 1QY, Bristol, UK

    Alan H. Scragg

Authors
  1. Alan H. Scragg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Scragg, A.H. The problems associated with high biomass levels in plant cell suspensions. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 43, 163–170 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00052172

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00052172

Key words

Search

Navigation