INFLUENCE OF MEDIUM CONSTITUENTS ON ENHANCEMENT OF PIGMENT PRODUCTIONBY BATCH CULTURE OF RED BEET HAIRY ROOTS

For the enhancement of pigment production by red beet hairy roots, the effects of medium constituents (Murashige-Skoog (MS) medium) on hairy root cultures were investigated in flasks. In a series of cultures us ing media with diluted medium components, it was found that phosphate was a key nutrient involved in pigment accumulation in the hairy roots , and that higher pigment contents in the roots were obtained at lower phosphate concentrations (range of 0-2.5 mol/m3). In an 18 d batch cu lture using phosphate-free medium, the total amount of pigment product ion was 4.8 times that obtained in a control culture using normal MS m edium with 1.25 mol/m3 phosphate.