The uptake of copper ions by cell suspension cultures of Agave amaniensis,and its effect on the growth,amino acids and hecogenin content

Cell suspension cultures of Agave amaniensiswere able to grow in media containing 10 – 240 M copper ions, and could remove more than 67% copper ions from the media. The cells accumulated up to 106 mg g^–1 copper ions in the biomass. Copper ions at 240 M caused a decrease in growth index and packed cell volume of the cultures of 61.5 and 53.3%, respectively. The presence of copper ions caused the cell walls to thicken and to be more wrinkled. Certain amino acids were released in high concentration into the media. The hecogenin content in the biomass increased up to 157.9% at 20 M copper ions.     

Accumulation of Cd2+ and Pb2+ in the suspension cultures of Agave amaniensis and Costus speciosus and the determination of the culture's growth and phytosteroid content

Cell suspension cultures of Agave amaniensis and Costus speciosus were grown in media containing Cd^{2 +} up to 25 and 20 mg l^–1, respectively, and Pb²⁺ up to 40 mg l^–1. The cultures hyper-accumulated Cd²⁺ up to 900 and 530 g g^–1 and Pb²⁺ up to 1390 and 1170 g g^–1 dry wt. in their respective biomasses. Increasing Pb²⁺ up to 30 mg l^–1 increased the biomass production and total sitosterol content of Costus speciosus by up to 1.7- and 1.3-fold, respectively.     

Phytoremediation of Sr2+ and its influence on the growth, Ca2+ and solasodine content of shoot cultures of Solanum laciniatum

Shoot cultures of Solanum laciniatum were able to remediate Sr²⁺ contained in the media (25–200 mg l^–1) and to accumulate Sr²⁺ up to 0.13% in the biomass. The growth of these shoot cultures remained good. Sr²⁺ at 50 and 100 mg l^–1 caused the vascular system of the stem to develop outwards with an increase of solasodine content 1.6 and 1.4 fold, respectively. A decrease of Ca²⁺ content of 16% was observed at Sr²⁺ 100 and 200 mg l^–1.