MUCUNA PRURIENS - IMPROVEMENT OF THE BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PRODUCTION OF THE ANTI-PARKINSON DRUG L-DOPA BY PLANT-CELL SELECTION

Routinely grown cell suspension cultures of Mucuna pruriens L. (Fabace ae) were able to endogenously accumulate the anti-Parkinson drug L-dih ydroxyphenylalanine (L-dopa) in the range between 0.2 and 2% on a dry weight (DW) basis. The green colour that developed in light-exposed cu ltures, appeared to be a suitable marker to select cells with an incre ased L-dopa biosynthesis and/or phenoloxidase activity. For this purpo se, saccharose concentrations from 0 to 4% (w/v), and light intensitie s of 1,000 and 2,000 lux, were involved in the selection procedure. Af ter 6 months, photomixotrophic callus cultures with a rapid growth and a high L-dopa content of 0.9% (DW) were obtained on 2% saccharose and under 1,000 lux. The cell suspensions, derived from these calli, accu mulated up to 6% (DW) L-dopa, which was the highest stable content eve r measured in cultures of M. pruriens. An L-dopa yield of approximatel y 1.2 g/l was calculated after 6 days of growth. In contrast, compared with the standard-grown parent cell line, the phenoloxidase activity, and consequently the bioconversion capacity as measured after entrapm ent in calcium alginate, of these high-producing cultures was approxim ately threefold lower.