Cell suspension culture of Solanum chrysotrichum (Schldl.) - A plant producing an antifungal spirostanol saponin

The production of an antifungal spirostanol saponin designated SC-1 has been detected in cell suspension cultures of the Mexican species Solanum chrysotrichum. Batch cultures of a cell suspension obtained from hypocotyl derived calluses of this species were grown for 25 days in shake flasks containing Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium. Throughout the growth cycle, fresh and dry weight, SC-1 yield, and uptake of sucrose, glucose and fructose were determined. The effects of inoculum size and sucrose concentration on the biomass accumulation and synthesis of the active metabolite, were studied. The maximum SC-1 production, above 14 mg.g(-1) (which was fifty times that of field grown plants), was reached after 20 days using a 2% inoculum and complete MS medium supplemented with 2 mg l(-1) 2,4-D, 2 mg l(-1) kinetin, and sucrose between 30 and 45 gl(-1).