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A dual purpose cell line of an Indian congener of ginseng—Panax sikkimensis with distinct ginsenoside and anthocyanin production profiles

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Abstract

The age-dependent production kinetics of ginsenosides and an anthocyanin pigment in a cell suspension line of Panax sikkimensis was followed in vitro. Highest total saponin content [7.37 mg/g dry weight (DW)] and biomass accumulation (% biomass increase = 209.67) in this line occurred after 3 and 5 weeks of culture, respectively. Accumulation of individual protopanaxatriol (Re, Rg1, and Rg2) and protopanaxadiol (Rb1, Rb2, and Rc) ginsenosides showed a variable pattern of accumulation independent of cell biomass buildup during the 7-week culture cycle. However, total content of triol ginsenosides was always significantly more than the diol group of ginsenosides, being 183.2-, 63.5-, and 72.1-folds at third, fourth, and fifth week stage of cell growth. Interestingly, in addition to these ginsenosides, the cell line also co-accumulated an anthocyanin pigment in vitro. The pigment content increased gradually from 8.66 to 14.29 mg/g DW after first to fifth week followed by a marginal fall to 12.79 and 10.95 mg/g DW during next 2 weeks. Therefore, in terms of total recovery of saponins (77.4 mg/l) and anthocyanin (199.16 mg/l), harvesting of cells after 3 and 5 weeks of growth was most profitable, respectively. The possible utility of this dual purpose cell line in nutraceutical industry is discussed.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi and Director, CSIR-CIMAP for the financial support and facilities for this work. Senior author (TB) also thanks the University Grants Commission for the award of a Junior Research Fellowship.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest with the associated work.

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Correspondence to Ajay Kumar Mathur.

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Biswas, T., Singh, M., Mathur, A.K. et al. A dual purpose cell line of an Indian congener of ginseng—Panax sikkimensis with distinct ginsenoside and anthocyanin production profiles. Protoplasma 252, 697–703 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-014-0695-z

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