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Biotechnological enhancement of capsaicin biosynthesis in cell suspension cultures of Naga King Chili (Capsicum chinense Jacq.)

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Abstract

Cell suspension cultures were initiated from hypocotyl derived callus to induce capsaicin biosynthesis in suspension cultures of Naga King Chili (Capsicum chinense Jacq.). Efficient capsaicin production with high growth index (GI) was obtained by exposing cells to salicylic acid (SA) and calcium channel modulators in suspension cultures. The time course of capsaicin formation is related to the cell growth profile in a batch culture. Cells cultivated in the standard medium (SM) initially showed low level of capsaicin yield during active growth. When the cells approached stationary phase, cell growth and cell viability decreased whereas capsaicin production increased continuously. In the fed-batch cultures, the highest capsaicin yield (567.4 ± 8.1 μgg1 fresh weight) (f.wt) was obtained by feeding the cells with 1 mM SA. However, SA feeding during cultivation repressed the cell growth. Enhanced cell growth (3.1 ± 0.1 GI/culture) and capsaicin yield (534 ± 7.8 μgg−1f.wt) were obtained when the cells were fed with calcium ionophore A23187 (0.5 mM) on day 25 as compared to the control. Addition of the calcium channel blocker verapamil hydrochloride (100 mM) inhibited cell growth and capsaicin production in Naga King Chili suspension cell cultures.

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Acknowledgments

Mechuselie Kehie acknowledges the financial support from Department of Science and Technology, Science and Engineering Research Board, Government of India, under the Scheme for Young scientists, a prestigious start up research grant (SB/YS/LS-147/2013 dt. 05-12-2013).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Post Graduate Department of Environmental Science, Patkai Christian College (Autonomous), Chumukedima, Seithekema, Dimapur, 797103, India

    Mechuselie Kehie

  2. Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Centre for Advanced Studies in Botany, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, 793022, India

    Suman Kumaria & Pramod Tandon

Authors
  1. Mechuselie Kehie
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  2. Suman Kumaria
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  3. Pramod Tandon
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Correspondence to Mechuselie Kehie.

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HPLC chromatogram of capsaicin (JPEG 255 kb)

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Kehie, M., Kumaria, S. & Tandon, P. Biotechnological enhancement of capsaicin biosynthesis in cell suspension cultures of Naga King Chili (Capsicum chinense Jacq.). Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 39, 205–210 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-015-1504-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-015-1504-6

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