Production of Biomass and Bioactive Compounds from Cell Suspension Cultures of Eurycoma longifolia in Balloon Type Bubble Bioreactors

Abstract

Eurycoma longifolia is an important rare medicinal plant that contains valuable bioactive compounds. In the present study, cell suspension culture of E. longifolia was established for the production of biomass and phenolic compounds. Various medium parameters, such as concentration of auxin, salt strength of the medium, and sucrose and nitrogen concentrations, were optimized for the production of biomass at the flask-scale level. Full strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with <TEX>$3.0mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$</TEX> naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 3% (w/v) sucrose, 0:60 <TEX>$NH{_4}^+:NO{_3}^-$</TEX> was found suitable for biomass accumulation. Based on the optimized flask-scale parameters, cell suspension cultures were established in balloon-type bubble bioreactors, and bioprocess parameters such as inoculum density and aeration rate were optimized. Inoculum density of <TEX>$50g{\cdot}L^{-1}$</TEX> and increasing aeration rate from 0.05 to 0.3 vvm, with increases every 7 days, were suitable for the accumulation of both biomass and phenolic compounds. With the optimized conditions, <TEX>$14.70g{\cdot}L^{-1}$</TEX> dry biomass, <TEX>$10.33mg{\cdot}g^{-1}$</TEX> DW of phenolics and <TEX>$3.89mg{\cdot}g^{-1}$</TEX> DW of flavonoids could be achieved. Phenolics isolated from the cell biomass showed optimal free radical scavenging activity.