Tocopherol biosynthesis is enhanced in photomixotrophic sunflower cell cultures.

Alpha-tocopherol is the most biologically active component of vitamin E and is synthesized only by photosynthetic organisms. Two heterotrophic cell lines of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) of differing alpha-tocopherol biosynthetic capability, three-fold higher in the high synthesizing cell line, HT, than in the low synthesizing one, LT, were previously identified.

Improving alpha-tocopherol production in plant cell cultures.

Suspension cell cultures of Helianthus annuus L. were previously established for the production of the most active component of vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol, by optimizing medium composition and culture conditions. In the present work, the possibility of enhancing alpha-tocopherol production by the addition of jasmonic acid to the culture medium was investigated both in sunflower and Arabidopsis cell cultures.

Enhancement of vitamin E production in sunflower cell cultures.

The most biologically active component of vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol, is synthesized in its most effective stereoisomeric form only by photosynthetic organisms. Using sunflower cell cultures, a suitable in vitro production system of natural alpha-tocopherol was established. The most efficient medium was found to be MS basal medium with naphthaleneacetic acid and 6-benzylaminopurine with the addition of casaminoacids and myo-inositol.