Abstract

Transformed dedifferentiated cultures of Artemisia annua L. were established using four wild type strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens . From the Ti-transformed in vitro gall calli so obtained cell suspension cultures were developed. Growth kinetics of Ti-transformed cell suspension cultures were studied and compared with untransformed (control) cultures. Ti transformed cell suspension cultures were found to exhibit faster growth rate than the control. Gall callus synthesized 0.2011 g/100 g DW of artemisinin while only 0.0178 g/100 g DW was detected in untransformed callus cultures Likewise. 38.6 µg/ml was found in spent medium of cell suspension culture at day 21, which shows a five fold increase in artemisinin over control (7.5 µg/ml).Cell suspension cultures are found to be practically more feasible than static cultures, hence an empirical approach is taken to scale up the Ti-transformed cell suspension culture in laboratory scale bioreactor (Batch process). The bioreactor cultivation yielded 45.56 µg/ml of artemisinin at day 21.The result suggests that the Erlenmeyer flasks results could be successfully scaled-up into the bioreactor and condition can be further optimized to have best artemisinin yield.