Production of ginsenoside and polysaccharide by two-stage cultivation of Panax quinquefolium L. cells

Based on the results of carbon source consumption in cell suspension culture of Panax quinquefolium L., 30 g L−1 sucrose was fed into a 5-L stirred tank bioreactor on day 16 of culture to enhance cell density and metabolite production. Using a fed-batch cultivation strategy, polysaccharide production was enhanced to 1.608 g L−1, which was 1.96-fold greater than with batch cultivation. The maximum saponin yield (7.828 mg L−1) was obtained on day 24 and was about 36% higher than the yields obtained using batch cultivation. In a two-stage culture process, a combined treatment with sucrose, lactoalbumin hydrolysate, and methyl jasmonate caused a significant increase in total saponin yield (31.52 mg L−1) in cell cultures after 27 d. This value represents an increase of 4.03-fold compared with the total saponin yield in fed-batch cultivation. The two-stage culture mode provided the best method for the in vitro production of secondary metabolites from P. quinquefolium.