Kinetics of Growth and Nutrient Consumption in the Culture of Trichosanthes kirilowii Hairy Root

Ribosome-inactivating proteins in Trichosanthes kirilowii having high anti-HIV activity can be efficiently obtained by culturing Trichosanthes kirilowii hairy root. A hairy root line from Trichosanthes kirilowii was cultivated in flasks and in a 5-L bioreactor. The results show that a logistic equation can be used to describe the relationship between the hairy root biomass and the culture time. The medium conductivity decrease is linearly related to the biomass amount. In the suspension culture, the hairy root growth is closely related to the nutrient consumption. The biomass to nitrate yield is 0.352 g/mmol. The growth rate of the hairy root in the bioreactor is higher than that in the flasks, and after a 12-day culture its growth rate enters a high-speed period when the growth rate is 0.738 g/(L * d).