Production of Adventitious Ginseng Roots Using Biorectors

Panax ginseng is an important medicinal plant that has been used worldwide for geriatric, tonic, stomachic, and aphrodisiac treatments. Ginsenosides contained in the ginseng root are the main substances having active functions for human body. The price of ginseng is very expensive due to a complex process of cultivation, and the yield of ginseng is limited, which cannot meet the demand of the increasing market. Researchers have applied plant biotechnology to solve the problems but there are still things to be determined towards ginsenoside production by large-scale adventitious root culture. In this experiment, 5 to 20 liter bioreactors were employed to determine optimal conditions for adventitious root culture and ginsenoside production of Panax gineng. Callus was induced from the ginseng root on MS agar medium containing 1.0 mg. $L^{-1}$ 2,4-D and 0.1 mg. $L^{-1}$ kinetin. Then the callus was cultured on MS agar medium supplemented with 2.0 mg. $L^{-1}$ IBA, 0.1 mg. $L^{-1}$ kinetin, and 30 g. $L^{-1}$ to induce adventitious roots. The maximum root growth and ginsenoside production were obtained in 1/2 MS medium. 2.0 mg. $L^{-1}$ naphthalene acetic acid resulted in greater root growth than 2.0 mg $L^{-1}$ indole-3-butyric acid. Ginsenoside content increased with 2.0 mg. $L^{-1}$ benzyl adenin or kinetin. High concentrations of benzyl adenin (above 3.0 mg. $L^{-1}$ ) decreased the adventitious root growth and ginsenoside productivity. N $H_{4}$$^{+}$ inhibited the ginsenoside accumulation, while high concentrations of $K^{+}$, $Mg_{2}$$^{+}$, and $Ca_{2}$$^{+}$ increased it. N $H_{4}$$^{+}$ at 0.5 and 1.0 times of the normal amount in 3/4 SH medium resulted in the greatest biomass increase, but the highest ginsenoside productivity was obtained when N $O_{3}$$^{-}$ was used as the sole nitrogen source in the medium. Most microelements at high concentrations in the medium inhibited the root growth, but high concentrations of MnS $O_4$enhanced the root growth. Root dry weight increased with increasing sucrose concentrations up to 50 g. $L^{-1}$ , but decreased from 70 g $L^{-1}$ Ginsenoside productivity was maximized at the range of 20 to 30 g. $L^{-1}$ sucrose. In the experiment on bioreactor types, cone and balloon types were determined to be favorable for both adventitious root growth and ginsenoside production. Jasmonic acid was effective for increasing ginsenoside contents and Rb group ginsenosides mainly increased. These results could be employed in commercial scale bioreactor cultures of Panax ginseng.x ginseng.