Effect of mixing time on taxoid production using suspension cultures of Taxus chinensis in a centrifugal impeller bioreactor.
The effects of fluid mixing on the cell growth and secondary metabolite production of plant cells were investigated in a low-shear centrifugal impeller bioreactor (CIB) system. Suspension cultures of Taxus chinensis cells producing taxuyunnanine C (Tc), a physiologically active secondary metabolite, were used as a model system for this investigation. The mixing time (t(m)) and volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (k(L)a) in the bioreactor were characterized at various cell densities and operating conditions. A constant t(m) of 5 s or 10 s was maintained during cultivation by adjusting the impeller agitation speed with no detrimental effect on the cultured cells. A higher cell density, Tc content and total Tc production were obtained under the shorter mixing time of 5 s. The favorable effect of more rapid mixing on Tc production was also confirmed when the Tc accumulation was significantly increased through culture elicitation using 100 microM methyl jasmonate (MJA). The lower Tc production at the longer t(m) of 10 s was mainly attributed to oxygen transfer limitation in the dead zones and larger cell aggregates resulting from poor mixing.
Zhong
Jian-Jiang
JJ
State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China. jjzhong@ecust.edu.cn
Pan
Zhi-Wei
ZW
Wang
Zhen-Yu
ZY
Wu
Jianyong
J
Chen
Feng
F
Takagi
Mutsumi
M
Yoshida
Toshiomi
T