Production of crocin using Crocus sativus callus by two-stage culture system

Abstract

Saffron callus was grown in a two-stage culture on B5 medium supplemented with casein hydrolysate (300 mg l⁻¹) at 22 °C in dark with naphthalene acetic acid (2 mg l⁻¹) and 6-benzyladenine (1 mg l⁻¹) to give maximum biomass (16 g dry wt l⁻¹), and with indole 3-acetic acid (2 mg l⁻¹) and 6-benzyladenine (0.5 mg l⁻¹) for crocin formation. The maximum crocin production (0.43 g l⁻¹) was achieved by this two-stage culture method, which was three times that by a one-stage method.