ENHANCED PEROXIDASE PRODUCTION BY SUSPENSION-CULTURE OF CARROT COMPACT CALLUS AGGREGATES

Suspension culture of compact callus aggregates (CCA) of Daucus carota (carrot), consisting of yellow, spherical cellular clumps displaying tissue differentiation was established. The production of peroxidase w hich was detected in trace amounts in dispersed carrot cell cultures w as found in high amounts (5.0-14.5 U g(-1) FW) in CCA cultures. Kineti cs analysis showed that CCA grew quickly for 4-12 days with a specific growth rate of 0.20 day(-1), while the peroxidase activity increased sharply after day 12. Fungal elicitors were found to effectively induc e peroxidase synthesis. Peroxidase activity of 54.0 U g(-1) FW was obt ained by adding Aspergillus niger elicitor at day 16 to make its conce ntration in medium 50 mg l(-1). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rig hts reserved.