Increased eleutheroside production in Eleutherococcus sessiliflorus embryogenic suspension cultures with methyl jasmonate treatment

The effects of methyl jasmonate elicitation were investigated in embryogenic suspension cultures of Eleutherococcus sessiliflorus in bioreactors for the production of eleutherosides and chlorogenic acid. Eleutherosides and chlorogenic acid increased with methyl jasmonate elicitation (in the range 50–400 μM); however, fresh weight, dry weight and growth ratio of the cells were inhibited by increasing methyl jasmonate concentration. There were 3.5-, 2.6-, 2.5- and 3.2-fold increments in eleutherosides B, E, E1 and chlorogenic acids were evident, respectively, with 200 μM methyl jasmonate treatment. These results suggest that methyl jasmonate elicitation is beneficial for eleutheroside accumulation in the embryogenic suspension cultures.