Ginseng cell culture for production of ginsenosides

Abstract

Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer (Araliaceae) is one of the most valuable oriental herbs and has been used as a healing drug and a health tonic in Korea, Japan and China since ancient times. Cultivation of ginseng in fields takes a long time, generally 4-6 years, and needs extensive efforts for quality control since plant growth is susceptible to many environmental factors including soil, shade, climate, pathogens and pests. On the other hand, the culturing of plant cells has been considered as a potential alternative for the efficient production of ginseng biomass and its active ingredients, such as ginseng saponins. In this chapter, the research work on cell suspension cultures of Korean ginseng (P. ginseng) using bioreactor technology, the various culture factors and the process variables such as growth regulators, sucrose concentration, types of bioreactors, inoculum density, aeration volume, gaseous composition such as oxygen, carbon dioxide and ethylene and elicitation on suspension cultures have been presented.