CHARACTERISTICS OF BATCH SUSPENSION-CULTURES OF PRECONDITIONED COLEUS-BLUMEI CELLS - SUCROSE EFFECT

Batch suspension cultures of Coleus blumei cells preconditioned with 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) maintained viability at above 85% during a 14-day culturing period for initial sucrose concentrations of 30-70 g/L. At 60 g/L sucrose, cells grew rapidly with a doubling time of 10.7 h, and dry cell mass reached a maximum of 15.6 g/L. Broad optima of cell yield (0.46-0.48 g of cell/g of sucrose), rosmarinic acid (RA) yield (3.1-3.5 g of RA/100 g of sucrose), and rosmarinic acid production (1.0-1.1 g of RA/L) were observed at 40-60 g/L sucrose concentration. Sucrose in the medium was hydrolyzed to glucose and fructose by extracellular and/or cell-bound invertase, and glucose was taken up by the cells at a higher rate than fructose. Even at sucrose concentrations of 40-70 g/L, sucrose consumption over 14 days was limited to 33 g/L.