Production of scopadulcic acid B from Scoparia dulcis Linn. using a Luffa sponge bioreactor

Abstract

Production of Scopadulcic acid B (SDB), a diterpene having antiviral and anti-tumour activity, was accomplished by immobilizing suspension culture-derived cells of Scoparia dulcis on Luffa sponge matrix. The yield of SDB in shake flask cultures was 50.85 mg/g of cells after 30 days of incubation while, in Luffa sponge inoculated columns SDB production was scaled up to 350.57 mg/g of cells by the 19th day of the first batch operation. The trend was maintained up to the 22nd day and the half life period of the reactor was 10 days. The bioreactor with Luffa sponge is a novel system and can be exploited for the production of many pharmaceutically active natural compounds effectively.