Production of artemisinin by hairy rot cultures of Artemisia annua L in bioreactor

Hairy root cultures of Artemisia annua L were cultivated in four different culture systems: a flask, a bubble column, a modified bubble column and a modified inner-loop airlift bioreactor. The artemisinin contents of hairy root cultures in the bubble column and the modified inner-loop airlift bioreactor were higher than that in the modified bubble column. The growth rate and hairy root distribution in the modified inner-loop airlift bioreactor were better than those in other bioreactors, and dry weight and artemisinin production reached to 26.8 g/L and 536 mg/L after 20 days.     

Performance of hairy root cultures of Cichorium intybus L. In bioreactors of different configurations

Summary A transformed root culture of Cichorium intybus L. cv. Lucknow Local grown in different configurations of bioreactors was examined. The roots grown in an acoustic mist bioreactor showed the best performance in terms of increased specific growth rate (0.072d⁻¹) and esculin content (18.5gl⁻¹), the latter of which was comparable to that of shake flask data. C. intybus hairy root cultures grown in an acoustic mist bioreactor produced nearly twice as much esculin as compared to roots grown in bubble column and nutrient sprinkle bioreactors. Studies relating to on-line estimation of conductivity and osmolarity to predict the growth of hairy root cultures are also discussed. The results demonstrate the efficacy and the advantages of an acoustic mist bioreactor for the cultivation of hairy root cultures, especially with reference to C. intybus hairy roots.     

Transformed root cultures for biotechnology

This review is concerned with the application of hairy roots, i.e. plant roots formed from plant cells after transformation by Agrobacterium rhizogenes for the production of bioactive compounds. Transformed root cultures have been established from numerous species of dicotyledonous plants. The plants, as well as the main products accumulated in hairy root cultures derived from these plants, are listed in this paper. Data are presented on novel compounds, hitherto detected only in transformed roots but not occurring in the corresponding intact plants. The possible use of hairy root cultures for the over-production of secondary metabolites and biotransformation of chemicals is discussed. In order to enhance the productivity of hairy root cultures, various methods have been derived, and optimized procedures are proposed. They include selection of high-producing clones, elicitation, composition of growth media, culture conditions and genetic approach. Hairy roots usually store secondary metabolites in vacuoles inside the cells. Therefore, several methods have been used to increase the amount of products released into the medium. Unfortunately, no general procedure is known that works in all cases, and the excretion behaviour of hairy root cultures varies from one species to another and even within one species from one clone to another. Special attention is given to the cultivation methods and bioreactor systems for hairy root cultures. Hairy roots are cultivated usually in shake flasks; however, shake flask culture is not suitable for the complex optimization and continuous control of the culture conditions. In this paper, we are going to present bioreactors proposed for the cultivation of hairy roots under more or less controlled conditions. Modifications of typical bacterial bioreactors, i.e. stirred tanks, airlift loop reactors and other constructions, are presented. A very special type of bioreactor providing good conditions for loose root mass multiplication without oxygen or substrate limitations, is the mist bioreactor. Nowadays, it is practically impossible to select the one best bioreactor type for hairy root culture.     

Bioreactor studies on hairy root cultures of Catharanthus roseus: Comparison of three bioreactor types

Summary Hairy roots of Catharanthus roseus were cultivated in three different types of bioreactors. The best growth and indole alkaloid production was achieved in an airsparged bioreactor with no other mixing. In the stirred bioreactor or in the bioreactor with medium circulation the roots did not grow, suggesting that hairy roots of C. roseus are more sensitive to stress than root cultures of many other plant species.     

Hairy Root Culture for Mass-Production of High-Value Secondary Metabolites

ABSTRACT

Plant cell cultivations are being considered as an alternative to agricultural processes for producing valuable phytochemicals. Since many of these products (secondary metabolites) are obtained by direct extraction from plants grown in natural habitat, several factors can alter their yield. The use of plant cell cultures has overcome several inconveniences for the production of these secondary metabolites. Organized cultures, and especially root cultures, can make a significant contribution in the production of secondary metabolites. Most of the research efforts that use differentiated cultures instead of cell suspension cultures have focused on transformed (hairy) roots. Agrobacterium rhizogenes causes hairy root disease in plants. The neoplastic (cancerous) roots produced by A. rhizogenes infection are characterized by high growth rate, genetic stability and growth in hormone free media. These genetically transformed root cultures can produce levels of secondary metabolites comparable to that of intact plants. Hairy root cultures offer promise for high production and productivity of valuable secondary metabolites (used as pharmaceuticals, pigments and flavors) in many plants. The main constraint for commercial exploitation of hairy root cultivations is the development and scaling up of appropriate reactor vessels (bioreactors) that permit the growth of interconnected tissues normally unevenly distributed throughout the vessel. Emphasis has focused on designing appropriate bioreactors suitable to culture the delicate and sensitive plant hairy roots. Recent reactors used for mass production of hairy roots can roughly be divided as liquid-phase, gas-phase, or hybrid reactors. The present review highlights the nature, applications, perspectives and scale up of hairy root cultures for the production of valuable secondary metabolites.     

Hairy root culture for mass-production of high-value secondary metabolites

Plant cell cultivations are being considered as an alternative to agricultural processes for producing valuable phytochemicals. Since many of these products (secondary metabolites) are obtained by direct extraction from plants grown in natural habitat, several factors can alter their yield. The use of plant cell cultures has overcome several inconveniences for the production of these secondary metabolites. Organized cultures, and especially root cultures, can make a significant contribution in the production of secondary metabolites. Most of the research efforts that use differentiated cultures instead of cell suspension cultures have focused on transformed (hairy) roots. Agrobacterium rhizogenes causes hairy root disease in plants. The neoplastic (cancerous) roots produced by A. rhizogenes infection are characterized by high growth rate, genetic stability and growth in hormone free media. These genetically transformed root cultures can produce levels of secondary metabolites comparable to that of intact plants. Hairy root cultures offer promise for high production and productivity of valuable secondary metabolites (used as pharmaceuticals, pigments and flavors) in many plants. The main constraint for commercial exploitation of hairy root cultivations is the development and scaling up of appropriate reactor vessels (bioreactors) that permit the growth of interconnected tissues normally unevenly distributed throughout the vessel. Emphasis has focused on designing appropriate bioreactors suitable to culture the delicate and sensitive plant hairy roots. Recent reactors used for mass production of hairy roots can roughly be divided as liquid-phase, gas-phase, or hybrid reactors. The present review highlights the nature, applications, perspectives and scale up of hairy root cultures for the production of valuable secondary metabolites.     

Bioreactor application on adventitious root culture of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Astragalus membranaceus</Emphasis>

Astragalus membranaceus is one of the most widely used traditional medicinal herbs in China, but the time required to generate a useful product in the field production is long. The growth of adventitious root cultures was compared between cultures grown in solid, liquid, or a 5-L balloon-type bubble bioreactor. The maximum growth ratio (final dry weight/initial dry weight) was determined for adventitious roots grown in the bioreactor. Studies carried out to optimize biomass production of adventitious roots compared adventitious root growth from various inoculum root lengths, inoculum densities, and aeration volume in the bioreactors. The maximum growth ratio occurred in treatments with a 1.5-cm inoculum root length, with 30 g (fresh weight) of inoculum per bioreactor or with an aeration volume of 0.1 vvm (air volume/culture medium volume per min). The polysaccharide, saponin, and flavonoid content of roots from bioreactor-grown cultures were compared to roots from field-grown plants grown for 1 and 3 yr. Total polysaccharide content of adventitious roots in the bioreactor (30.0 mg g⁻¹ dry weight (DW)) was higher than the roots of 1-yr-old (13.8 mg g⁻¹ DW) and 3-yr-old (21.1 mg g⁻¹ DW) plants in the field. Total saponin (3.4 mg g⁻¹ DW) and flavonoid (6.4 mg g⁻¹ DW) contents were nearly identical to 3-yr-old roots and higher than that of 1-yr-old roots under field cultivation.     

Rosmarinic acid production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coleus forskohlii</Emphasis>hairy root cultures

Coleus forskohlii hairy root cultures were found to produce forskolin and rosmarinic acid (RA) as the main metabolites. The growth and RA production by C. forskohlii hairy root cultures in various liquid media were examined. The hairy root cultures showed good growth in hormone-free Murashige and Skoog medium containing 3% (w/v) sucrose (MS medium), and Gamborg B5 medium containing 2% (w/v) sucrose (B5 medium). RA yield reached 4.0 mg (MS medium) and 4.4 mg (B5 medium) after 5 weeks of culture in a 100 ml flask containing 20 ml of each medium. Hairy root growth and RA were also investigated after treatment with various concentrations of yeast extract (YE), salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonic acid (MJA). RA production in a 100 ml flask containing 20 ml B5 medium reached 5.4 mg (1.9 times more than control) with treatment of 0.01 or 1% (w/v) YE, 5.5 mg (2.0 times more than control) with treatment of 0.1 mM SA, and the maximum RA content with 9.5 mg per flask (3.4 times more than control) was obtained in the hairy roots treated with 0.1 mM MJA. These results suggest that MJA is an effective elicitor for production of RA in C. forskohlii hairy root cultures.     

Development of a nutrient mist bioreactor for growth of hairy roots

Summary Hairy root cultures of Artemisia annua L. were cultivated in three different mist bioreactors, each fitted with three stainless steel meshes. The growth rates in the three 2.3-L mist bioreactors differed. After 25 d, the growth index (final dry weight/initial dry weight) of the roots was 42 in a nutrient mist bioreactor, 61 in an inner-loop nutrient mist bioreactor, and 68 in a modified inner-loop nutrient mist bioreactor. Under a misting cycle of 3/30 (ON 3 min/OFF 30 min) for 25 d, dry weight reached 13.6 g/L of medium in the modified inner-loop nutrient mist bioreactor in which nutrient could be supplied without dilution of mist by air flow.     

Hairy root cultures: A suitable biological system for studying secondary metabolic pathways in plants

Hairy roots, a plant disease caused by Agrobacterium rhizogenes, show distinctive features such as high growth rate, unlimited branching, and biochemical and genetic stability. Hairy roots resemble normal roots in terms of differentiated morphology and biosynthetic machinery, producing similar secondary metabolites compared to wild‐type roots. As a result, hairy roots have been a topic of intense research for the past three decades, fueling innumerable attempts to develop in vitro hairy root cultures for a large number of plants for the commercial‐scale production of secondary metabolites. The same characteristics have now led to further applications, such as using hairy root cultures as experimental systems for secondary metabolic pathway elucidation studies. Although the trend is relatively new, it has already gained momentum. This review summarizes these developments. The following discussion focuses on the rationale and advantages of using hairy root cultures for secondary metabolic pathway elucidation studies, the methods used, and the results that have been obtained so far.     

Transgenic hairy roots. recent trends and applications

Agrobacterium rhizogenes causes hairy root disease in plants. The neoplastic roots produced by A. rhizogenes infection is characterized by high growth rate and genetic stability. These genetically transformed root cultures can produce higher levels of secondary metabolites or amounts comparable to that of intact plants. Hairy root cultures offer promise for production of valuable secondary metabolites in many plants. The main constraint for commercial exploitation of hairy root cultures is their scaling up, as there is a need for developing a specially designed bioreactor that permits the growth of interconnected tissues unevenly distributed throughout the vessel. Rheological characteristics of heterogeneous system should also be taken into consideration during mass scale culturing of hairy roots. Development of bioreactor models for hairy root cultures is still a recent phenomenon. It is also necessary to develop computer-aided models for different parameters such as oxygen consumption and excretion of product to the medium. Further, transformed roots are able to regenerate genetically stable plants as transgenics or clones. This property of rapid growth and high plantlet regeneration frequency allows clonal propagation of elite plants. In addition, the altered phenotype of hairy root regenerants (hairy root syndrome) is useful in plant breeding programs with plants of ornamental interest. In vitro transformation and regeneration from hairy roots facilitates application of biotechnology to tree species. The ability to manipulate trees at a cellular and molecular level shows great potential for clonal propagation and genetic improvement. Transgenic root system offers tremendous potential for introducing additional genes along with the Ri T-DNA genes for alteration of metabolic pathways and production of useful metabolites or compounds of interest. This article discusses various applications and perspectives of hairy root cultures and the recent progress achieved with respect to transformation of plants using A. rhizogenes.     

Astragaloside IV and polysaccharide production by hairy roots of Astragalus membranaceus in bioreactors

Hairy roots of Astragalus membranaceus were grown in bioreactors up to 30 l for 20 d. Cultures from a 30 l airlift bioreactor gave 11.5 g l dry wt with 1.4 mg g^–1 astragaloside IV, similar to cultures from 250 ml and 1 l flasks, but greater than yields from a 10 l bioreactor (dry wt 9.4 g l^–1, astragaloside IV 0.9 mg g^–1). Polysaccharide yields were similar amongst the different bioreactors (range 25–32 mg g^–1). The active constituent content of the cells approached that of plant extracts, indicating that large scale hairy root cultures of A. membranaceus has the potential to provide an alternative to plant crops without compromising yield or pharmacological potential.     

Production of glomus intraradices propagules, an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, in an airlift bioreactor

This work addresses the symbiotic culture of the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Glomus intraradices with Daucus carota hairy roots transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogenes, in two submerged culture systems: Petri dish and airlift bioreactor. AM fungi play an active role in plant nutrition and protection against plant pathogens. These fungi are obligate biotrophs as they depend on a host plant for their needs in carbohydrates. The effect of the mycorrhizal roots inoculum-to-medium volume ratio on the growth of both symbionts was studied. A critical inoculating condition was observed at approximately 0.6 g dry biomass (DW). L-1 medium, above which root growth was significantly reduced when using a low-salt minimal (M) liquid medium previously developed for hairy root-AM fungi co-culture. Below critical inoculum conditions the maximum specific root growth and specific G. intraradices spore production rates of 0.021 and 0.035 d-1, respectively, were observed for Petri dish cultures. Maximum spore production in the airlift bioreactor was ten times lower than that of Petri dish cultures and obtained with the lowest inoculum assessed (0.13 g DW. L-1 medium) with 1.82 x 10(5) +/- 4.05 x 10(4) (SEM) spores (g DW inoculum)-1 (L medium)-1 in 107 d. This work proposes a second-generation bioprocess for AM fungi propagule production in bioreactors. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Application of an airlift bioreactor system for the production of adventitious root biomass and caffeic acid derivatives of Echinacea purpurea

In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of using mass cultivation of the adventitious roots of Echinacea purpurea in balloon type bubble (air-lift) bioreactors to produce caffeic acid derivatives, which have pharmaceutical and therapeutic values. An approximately 10 fold increase in biomass and secondary compounds was observed after 4 weeks of culture in balloon type bubble bioreactors (5 L capacity containing 4 L of half strength MS medium). In addition, a linear relationship was observed between the concentration of biomass and the sucrose and ion consumption rate. Furthermore, the concentration of biomass in the bioreactor culture was found to increase as the conductivity decreased. An inoculum density of 7 g/L FW and an aeration rate of 0.1 vvm were found to be suitable for inducing the accumulation of biomass and secondary metabolites. Of the three caffeic acid derivatives evaluated (caftaric acid, chlorogenic acid, and cichoric acid), the concentration of cichoric acid was the highest (26.64 mg/g DW).     

An interchangeable system of hairy root and cell suspension cultures ofCatharanthus roseus for indole alkaloid production

Hairy roots ofCatharanthus roseus obtained by co-cultivation of hypocotyl segments withAgrobacterium rhizogenes, and cultured in SH (Schenk and Hildebrandt) basal medium, formed two types of calli when subcultured in SH medium with 1 mg/1 -naphthaleneacetic acid and 0.1 mg/l kinetin. One of them, a compact callus, when re-subcultured in SH basal medium gave rise to hairy roots again. A rhizogenic cell suspension culture was established from this type of callus. When cultured in SH medium with growth regulators, the rhizogenic callus produced catharanthine at a level of 41% of the level in the initial hairy roots. Upon transfer to SH basal medium, regenerated hairy roots produced this alkaloid at the original level of 1.5 mg/g dry wt. Using this cell/hairy root interchange system a new management system for hairy root culture in bioreactors has been devised and examined involving production of biomass in the form of a cell suspension in medium supplemented with growth regulators, and catharanthine production by hairy roots regenerated from these cells in medium without growth regulators.Abbreviations NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid - SH Schenk and Hildebrandt - SHNK SH medium + 1 mg 1^–1 NAA + 0.1 mg 1^–1 kinetin     

Effect of plant growth regulators on growth and biosynthesis of phenolic compounds in genetically transformed hairy roots of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Panax ginseng</Emphasis> C. A. Meyer

In this study, morphological alterations, biomass growth, and secondary metabolite production of genetically transformed hairy roots ofPanax ginseng C. A. Meyer, were evaluated after administration of plant growth regulators. The addition of benzylamino purine and kinetin to the culture media increased biomass formation and phenolic compound biosynthesis in the hairy roots. α-Naphthaleneacetic acid and indole-3-butyric acid inhibited hairy root growth, however, low concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid slightly increased hairy root growth. Low concentrations of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid profoundly inhibited growth of hairy roots. The addition of plant growth regulators, such as auxin, did not increase total phenolic compounds in hairy roots that did not contain gibberellic acid and cytokinins. Callus formation was induced in cultures suspended in liquid medium amended with benzylamino purine and kinetin. Hairy roots regenerated from these calluses exhibited an active growth pattern with extensive lateral branching in non-amended medium, similar to the growth pattern of the original hairy roots.     

Plantlet regeneration enhances solasodine productivity in hairy root cultures of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum khasianum</Emphasis> Clarke

Summary Shoot regeneration in hairy root cultures of Solanum khasianum Clarke influences root growth, solasodine production. and permeabilization of solasodine into the medium. These parameters are dependent on exogenously supplied auxin and cytokinin: the effect being both concentration-and clone-dependent. Hairy root cultures with no shoot regeneration showed high permeabilization of solasodine into the medium by the sixth week of incubation, suggesting the medium acts as a sink for the solasodine synthesized by the roots. Solasodine in the culture medium was toxic to the transformed roots and caused browning of root tips. In a separate set of experiments, the hairy root cultures showed regeneration of approximately 50–70 mm long shoots after treatment with indole-3-acetic acid and kinetin. These hairy root cultures had inereased levels of solasodine production, compared to cultures without shoot regeneration. The plantlets formed in the hairy root cultures accumulated some of the solasodine, thereby reducing its permcabilization into the medium. Transport of solasodine from root to shoot reduced the toxic effect of solasodine in the root zone and extended the exponential growth phase by 8-10d.     

Production of tropane alkaloids by small-scale bubble column bioreactor cultures of Scopolia parviflora adventitious roots

The mass production of tropane alkaloids from adventitious root cultures of Scopolia parviflora, in small-scale bubble column bioreactor (BCB) was attempted. Adventitious roots of S. parviflora produced relatively enhanced levels of scopolamine and hyoscyamine in bioreactor compared to flask type cultures, and rapidly produced root clumps, with continuously increasing biomass throughout the culture period. The production of scopolamine and hyoscyamine in the top and bottom regions of root clumps were higher than in the core region. The adventitious root cultures of S. parviflora in the BCB required a relatively high level of aeration. The optimized conditions for the bioreactor culture growth and alkaloid production were found to be 3g of inoculum, on a fresh weight basis, a 15-day culture period and 0.4vvm of airflow. The elicitation by Staphylococus aureus increased the specific compound of scopolamine, while the production of hyoscyamine was slightly inhibited in BCB cultures.     

MALDI‐TOF characterization of hGH1 produced by hairy root cultures of Brassica oleracea var. italica grown in an airlift with mesh bioreactor

Expression systems based on plant cells, tissue, and organ cultures have been investigated as an alternative for production of human therapeutic proteins in bioreactors. In this work, hairy root cultures of Brassica oleracea var. italica (broccoli) were established in an airlift with mesh bioreactor to produce isoform 1 of the human growth hormone (hGH1) as a model therapeutic protein. The hGH1 cDNA was cloned into the pCAMBIA1105.1 binary vector to induce hairy roots in hypocotyls of broccoli plantlets via Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Most of the infected plantlets (90%) developed hairy roots when inoculated before the appearance of true leaves, and keeping the emerging roots attached to hypocotyl explants during transfer to solid Schenk and Hildebrandt medium. The incorporation of the cDNA into the hairy root genome was confirmed by PCR amplification from genomic DNA. The expression and structure of the transgenic hGH1 was assessed by ELISA, western blot, and MALDITOF‐MS analysis of the purified protein extracted from the biomass of hairy roots cultivated in bioreactor for 24 days. Production of hGH1 was 5.1 ± 0.42 µg/g dry weight (DW) for flask cultures, and 7.8 ± 0.3 µg/g DW for bioreactor, with productivity of 0.68 ± 0.05 and 1.5 ± 0.06 µg/g DW*days, respectively, indicating that the production of hGH1 was not affected by the growth rate, but might be affected by the culture system. These results demonstrate that hairy root cultures of broccoli have potential as an alternative expression system for production of hGH1, and might also be useful for production of other therapeutic proteins. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:161–171, 2014     

Alkamide production from hairy root cultures of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Echinacea</Emphasis>

Hairy root cultures of Echinacea, one of the most important medicinal plants in the US, represent a valuable alternative to field cultivation for the production of bioactive secondary metabolites. In this study, the three most economically important species of Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea pallida, and Echinacea angustifolia) were readily transformed with two strains of Agrobacterium that produce the hairy root phenotype. Transformed roots of all three species exhibited consistent accelerated growth and increased levels of alkamide production. Optimization of the culture of Echinacea hairy roots was implemented to enhance both growth and alkamide production concomitantly. The use of half-strength Gamborg’s B5 medium supplemented with 3.0% sucrose was twice as effective in maintaining hairy root production than any other media tested. The addition of indolebutyric acid increased the growth rate of roots by as much as 14-fold. Alkamide production increased severalfold in response to the addition of the elicitor, jasmonic acid, but did not respond to the addition of indolebutyric acid. Induced accumulation of the important bioactive compounds, alkamides 2 and 8, was observed both in transformed roots and in response to jasmonic acid treatments. The results of this study demonstrate the efficacy of hairy root cultures of Echinacea for the in vitro production of alkamides and establish guidelines for optimum yield.