Protocorm culture of Dendrobium candidum in balloon type bubble bioreactors

• Dendrobium candidum protocorm suspension cultures in balloon type bubble bioreactors have been established.
• Enhanced accumulation of biomass and bioactive compounds in bioreactor cultures was achieved.
• The results of the current study are useful for the production of D. candidum bioactive compounds.

Protocorm cultures of Dendrobium candidum were established in balloon type bubble bioreactors using Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 0.5 mg l−1 α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 2.5% (w/v) sucrose, 5:25 mM NH4:NO3 and 1% (v/v) banana homogenate for the production of biomass and bioactive compounds. In 3 l bioreactor containing 2 l medium, a maximum protocorm biomass (21.0 g l−1 dry biomass) and also optimum quantities of total polysaccharides (389.3 mg g−1 DW), coumarins (18.0 mg g−1 DW), polyphenolics (11.9 mg g−1 DW), and flavonoids (4.5 mg g−1 DW) were achieved after 7 weeks of culture. Based on these studies, 5 and 10 l bioreactor cultures were established to harvest 80 g and 160 g dry biomass. In 10 l bioreactors, the protocorms grown were accumulated with optimal levels of polysaccharides (424.1 mg g−1 DW), coumarins (15.8 mg g−1 DW), polyphenols (9.03 mg g−1 DW) and flavonoids (4.7 mg g−1 DW). The bioreactor technology developed here will be useful for the production of important bioactive compounds from D. candidum.

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