Cell biology international
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To date enormous attempts have been devoted to improve Taxol production exploiting various methodologies from bioprocess engineering to biotechnological and synthetic approaches. We have developed a 2-stage suspension cell culture of Taxus baccata L. using modified B5 medium in order to improve cell growth as well as productivity. After callus induction and cell line selection, B5 medium was supplemented with vanadyl sulfate (0.1 mg/l), silver nitrate (0.3 mg/l) and cobalt chloride (0.25 mg/l) at the first day of stage I culture to maximize cell growth. ⋯ Microscopic analyses of Taxus cells in suspension cultures showed various positional auto-fluorescence showing direct correlation with Taxol production. Our studies revealed that intervallic supplementation of B5 medium with combination of biomass growth factors at stage I and mixture of elicitors at stage II could significantly increase Taxol production. Thus, we suggest that the exploitation of this methodology may improve the production of Taxol since demands for Taxol pharmaceuticals are increasingly growing and resource paucities have limited its direct harvesting from Taxus trees.