Artemisinin Production by Adventitious Shoots of Artemisia annua in a Novel Mist Bioreactor

A novel ultrasonic inner-loop bioreactor was used for artemisinin production by adventitious shoots in a multiplate culture of Artemisia annua L. The bioreactor was designed to allow the nutrient mist to uprise along a concentric draught-cylinder until it overflows from the top opening and the side-holes of the central tube downward and out of the annulus, so that the nutrient mist can be fulfilled in the bioreactor within 2 ~ 3 minutes. Under the misting cycles of every 3-minute misting in every 90 minute interval, artemisinin production reached totally 46.9 mg DW/L of culture medium at an airflow rate of 0.5 L/min for 25 d of culture in batches. The product amounted 2.9 and 3.2 folds of those obtained from culturing in solid medium and in shaking flasks respectively.