1Department of Biological Sciences, Ramniranjan Jhunjhunwala College, Ghatkopar (W), Bombay 400 086, India
2Department of Chemical Engineering, Fenske laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
3Biotechnology Institute, Wartik Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
*Corresponding author
Hairy root cultures of Beta vulgaris L grown in a bubble column reactor were permeabilised by exposure to B5 medium of pH 2.0. The roots released 39% of their total pigments on a 10 min exposure to B5 medium of pH 2.0 followed by return to standard B5 medium. The pigments released in the extracellular medium were recovered on an adsorption column containing XAD-16 resin. The permeabilised roots regrew and accumulated additional pigments. Comparison of this technique with the previously used techniques like oxygen starvation and temperature shock to permeabilise beet hairy roots suggest that pH mediated release of betalains can be an effective method of releasing betalains from root cultures.
beet hairy roots, pigment release, bioreactor, integrated recovery
