Characteristics of transformedPanax ginseng C.A. Meyer hairy roots: Growth and nutrient profile

Abstract

Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) hairy root cultures, which are established via the infection of ginseng root discs withRhizobium rhizogenes, have been used to construct profiles of both biomass growth and nutrient consumption in flask cultures. In a 250 mL shake flask culture, the maximum biomass was observed on the 59th day of the culture period, at 216.8 g (fresh wt) per liter or 11.4 g (dry wt) per liter. The hairy roots were determined to have a growth rate of 0.355 g-DW/g cells/day during the exponential growth phase and a maximum specific growth rate on day 7. Total ginseng saponin and phenolic compound contents were noted to have increased within the latter portion of the culture period. Linear correlations between increases in biomass weight and nutrient uptake were used to imply the conductivity yield 2.60 g-DW/(L·mS) and carbon yield 0.45 g-DW/(g sugar) in the 250 mL flask cultures. The biomass yield when two different nitrogen sources were used (ammonia and nitrate) was shown to remain approximately constant, at 0.47 g-DW/(l·mM NH₄) and 0.33 g-DW/(L·mM NO₃); it remained at these levels for 16 days with the ammonia, and for 24 days with the nitrate. The biomass yield when a phosphate source was used was also shown to remain approximately constant for 9 days, at 3.17 g-DW/(L·mM PO₄), with an R² of 0.99.