Features of development of Stevia rebaudiana shoots cultivated in the roller bioreactor and their production of steviol glycosides.

Growth and development of Stevia rebaudiana shoots cultivated in the roller bioreactor and their production of steviol glycosides (SGs) were investigated. It was found that, owing to the highly favorable conditions of shoot cultivation created in such an apparatus, the intensity of shoot growth and SG production appeared to be 1.5 - 2.0 times higher than those of the shoots grown in tubes. These results indicate the existence of a positive correlation between these two processes. The data obtained suggest that the enhanced SG production is due to the differentiation of chlorenchyma cells and formation of specific subcellular structures for the glycoside to be accumulated.