title: Enhancement of vitamin E production in sunflower cell cultures.
abstract: The most biologically active component of vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol, is synthesized in its most effective stereoisomeric form only by photosynthetic organisms. Using sunflower cell cultures, a suitable in vitro production system of natural alpha-tocopherol was established. The most efficient medium was found to be MS basal medium with naphthaleneacetic acid and 6-benzylaminopurine with the addition of casaminoacids and myo-inositol. Culture feeding experiments using biosynthetic precursors showed that alpha-tocopherol production improved by 30% when homogentisic acid was used. Interestingly, time-course experiments with sunflower suspension cultures showed a possible increase of 78% in alpha-tocopherol production when using cultures of longer subculture intervals. Compared to the starting plant tissue, an overall 100% increase of alpha-tocopherol was reached by these sunflower cell cultures.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Scienze delle Produzioni Alimentari, Sezione di Lecce, CNR, Via Prov. le Lecce-Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy. sofia.caretto@ispa.cnr.it
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caretto
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bray Speth
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fachechi
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gala
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zacheo
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giovinazzo
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D001593:Benzyl Compounds; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D006368:Helianthus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D006713:Homogentisic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D007294:Inositol / Q000494:pharmacology; D007701:Kinetin; D009280:Naphthaleneacetic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D011687:Purines; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D001593:Benzyl Compounds; D003470:Culture Media; D009280:Naphthaleneacetic Acids; D011687:Purines; C017721:casamino acids; D014810:Vitamin E; D007294:Inositol; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D000225:Adenine; C480551:benzylaminopurine; D006713:Homogentisic Acid; D007701:Kinetin