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Sustainable bioproduction of phytochemicals by plant in vitro cultures: anticancer agents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2007

Michael Wink*
Affiliation:
Institut für Pharmazie und Molekulare Biotechnologie, Universität Heidelberg, INF 364, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
A. Wilhelm Alfermann
Affiliation:
Institut für Entwicklungs- und Molekularbiologie der Pflanzen, Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
Rochus Franke
Affiliation:
Institut für Pharmazie und Molekulare Biotechnologie, Universität Heidelberg, INF 364, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
Bernhard Wetterauer
Affiliation:
Institut für Pharmazie und Molekulare Biotechnologie, Universität Heidelberg, INF 364, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
Melanie Distl
Affiliation:
Institut für Pharmazie und Molekulare Biotechnologie, Universität Heidelberg, INF 364, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
Jörg Windhövel
Affiliation:
Institut für Entwicklungs- und Molekularbiologie der Pflanzen, Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
Oliver Krohn
Affiliation:
Institut für Entwicklungs- und Molekularbiologie der Pflanzen, Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
Elisabeth Fuss
Affiliation:
Institut für Entwicklungs- und Molekularbiologie der Pflanzen, Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
Hermann Garden
Affiliation:
Institut für Entwicklungs- und Molekularbiologie der Pflanzen, Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
Abdolali Mohagheghzadeh
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Shiraz, Iran
Eckart Wildi
Affiliation:
Rootec GmbH, 69123, Heidelberg, Germany
Peter Ripplinger
Affiliation:
Rootec GmbH, 69123, Heidelberg, Germany
*
*Corresponding author: E-mail: wink@uni-hd.de

Abstract

Due to their complex structure with several chiral centres important anticancer agents are still extracted from plants and not synthesized chemically on a commercial scale. Sustainable bioproduction of the compounds of interest may be achieved by plant in vitro cultures. Undifferentiated callus and suspension cultures, which can be cultivated in large bioreactors easily, very often fail to accumulate the compounds of interest, whereas shoot and root cultures as well hairy roots normally produce the same compounds as in the appropriate organs. The production of anticancer compounds, such as the alkaloids vinblastine, vincristine, paclitaxel (Taxol®), camptothecin, or the lignan podophyllotoxin, by plant in vitro cultures is reviewed. Taxanes can be produced in bioreactors using cell suspensions of various Taxus species with good yields; presently paclitaxel is produced on a commercial scale by Phyton Biotech (Germany). Camptothecin has low yields in suspension cultures of Camptotheca acuminata or Nothapodytes foetida (0.0003–0.01%), but a good production (0.1–0.3% dry wt) in root and hairy root cultures of Ophiorrhiza pumila, O. mungos and C. acuminata. Podophyllotoxin can be produced in cell suspension and root as well as hairy root cultures of Podophyllum and various Linum species up to 130 mg/l (Linum album cell suspensions); its derivative 6-methoxypodophyllotoxin is accumulated in hairy roots of L. persicum up to about 500 mg/l. The in vitro production of dimeric indole alkaloids in Catharanthus roseus has failed so far both in undifferentiated and differentiated in vitro cultures. In cases where in vitro cultures show good yields, they can be employed in biotechnology for the sustainable production of valuable products.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © NIAB 2005

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