Protein Hydrolysates from Flaxseed Oil Cake as a Media Supplement in CHO Cell Culture

This is the first report about flaxseed protein hydrolysates applied as media supplements in CHO cell culture. The hydrolysates were produced by three separate enzymatic digestions of proteins isolated from flaxseed oil cake. The enzymes used were Alcalase, Neutrase, and Protamex, and the most efficient hydrolysis was achieved with Alcalase. The three hydrolysates were first tested as a partial substitute for serum in basal media in order to evaluate their effects on the adherent IgG-producing CHO cell line. The cells that grew in such media reached higher density than the cells in media supplemented with serum only. Consequently, the increased cell number improved the final IgG titer. In the next experiment, the impact of hydrolysates was evaluated in suspension CHO culture adapted to chemically defined media. In this preliminary investigation, the cells showed no response to the hydrolysate addition concerning the growth rate and productivity. Despite this outcome, we speculate that low molecular mass components in the hydrolysates, besides nutritive, may have a cell-protective function.