Scaling-up the biomass production of <i>Cymbopogon citratus</i> L. in temporary immersion system

Abstract

Shoot-tips, collected from greenhouse-grown plants of Cymbopogon citratus L. (lemmon grass), were incubated on a semi-solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 30% (w/v) sucrose, and supplemented with 0.89 µM 6-benzyladenine (BA). After three weeks of culture shoots were individualized and then inoculated in 10 litres temporary immersion system (TIS) containing 3 litres of the same basal MS liquid medium. The effects of three immersion frequency (immersion every 12, 6 and 4 hours) on the production of biomass were studied. Three inoculum densities (forty, fifty and sixty shoots/TIS) were also tested. The biomass growth was inûuenced by the immersion frequency. The highest proliferation rate (17.3 shoots/explants) and the plant length (45.2 cm) were obtained in plants immersed every 4 h. Also, the fresh and dry biomass weight (153.4 gFW and 24.8 gDW, respectively) were higher in this treatment. The maximum biomass accumulation (185.2 gFW and 35.2 gDW) was achieved after 30 days of culture when an inoculum density of 60 explants per TIS was used. For the first time, biomass of C. citratus has been produced in10 litres TIS. These results represent the first step in the scaling-up the biomass production of this medicinal plant in large temporary immersion bioreactors. Key words: automation, biomass growth, lemmon grass medicinal plant, tissue culture