BIOREACTOR SEAWEED CELL-CULTURE FOR PRODUCTION OF BIOACTIVE OXYLIPINS

Liquid cell suspension cultures derived from marine plants have the potential to biosynthesize novel biomedicinal compounds in a controlled environment. Of particular interest are the eicosanoids and related oxylipins emanating from the 15-lipoxygenase manifold of the arachidonic acid cascade, which is active in the brown alga Laminaria saccharina. Filamentous cell clumps of L. saccharina isolated from female gametophytes were cultured in an illuminated bubble-column bioreactor in GP2 artificial seawater nutrient medium at 13 degrees C and air flow rate of 0.35 L air min(-1) L(-1) culture (vvm). Growth kinetics and biomass productivity data were obtained as a function of incident light intensity (2.4 to 98 mu mol photon m(-2) s(-1)) and initial cell density (27 to 149 mg DCW L(-1)). Maximum cell densities exceeded 1200 mg DCW L(-1) after a 20 day cultivation time at optimal conditions of 98 mu mol photon m(-2) s(-1) and 118 mg DCW L(-1) initial cell density. Qualitative analysis of chloroform/methanol extracts of the cell culture biomass by GC-MS confirmed the presence of the hydroxy fatty acids 13-HODTA and 13-HOTE, the likely products of 15-lipoxygenase catalyzed oxidation of linoleic or linolenic acids.