Optimization and Elucidation of Interactions between Ammonium, Nitrate and Phosphate in Centella asiatica Cell Culture Using Response Surface Methodology

The effects of macronutrients $(NO_3^-,\; NH_4^+\;and\;PO_4^{3-})$ on cell growth and triterpenoids production in Centella asiatica cell suspension cultures were analyzed using the Box­Behnken response surface model experimental design. In screening and optimization experiments, $PO_4^{3-}$ as a single factor significantly influenced cell growth where increasing the phosphate level from 0.1 to 2.4 or 2.6 mM, elevated cell growth from 3.9 to $14\~16g/L$. The optimum values predicted from the response surface model are 5.05mM $NH_4^+$, 15.0mM $NO_3^-$ and 2.6mM $PO_4^{3-}$, yielding 16.0g/L cell dry weight with $99\%$ fitness to the experimental data. While the $NH_4^+-NO_3^-$ interaction influenced cell growth positively in the optimization experiment, $NH_4^+$ and $NO_3^-$ as single factors; and interactions of $NO_3^--PO_4^{3-},\;NH_4^+-PO_4^{3-}$ and $NH_4^+-NO_3^-$ were all negative in the screening experiment. Cell growth and the final pH level were positively affected by $PO_4^{3-}$, but negatively affected by $NH_4^+\;and\;NH_4^+-PO_4^{3-}$ interactions. The different effects of factors and their interactions on cell growth and final pH are influenced by a broad or narrow range of macronutrient concentrations. The productions of triterpenoids however were lower than 4mg/g cell dry weight.