CONDENSED TANNIN AND ANTHOCYANIN PRODUCTION IN VITIS-VINIFERA CELL-SUSPENSION CULTURES

Suspension cultures of Vitis vinifera were cultured in different media in order to establish a model system for promoting high levels of phe nolic substances identical with those found in wine. These media were: a low sucrose maintenance medium (MM) and four high sucrose media (di ffering mainly in sucrose and mineral contents) which were shown to in duce secondary metabolism. In MM medium, polyphenol accumulation in th e cells was low, and concentrations of 0.1 mg/gfw for condensed tannin s and 0.3 mg/gfw for anthocyanins were reached within two weeks of cul tivation. Values of 1.4 and 6.4 mg/gfw, respectively, were obtained wi th a low nitrate and high sucrose medium (HM1), but cell proliferation was reduced. To obtain a maximal production of polyphenols, we invest igated the most effective conditions for cell growth and polyphenol pr oduction (a high mineral and high sucrose medium, IM1; inoculum diluti on of 1.25:10). Under these conditions, the cells produced mainly anth ocyanins (1100 mg/l), proanthocyanidins (300 mg/l) and catechins (25 m g/l).