Improvement of phenylethanoid glycosides production by a fungal elicitor in cell suspension culture of Cistanche deserticola.

When, on the 15th day of growth, an elicitor from Fusarium solani was added at 40 mg l(-1) to Cistanche deserticola cell suspension cultures, the contents of echinacoside, acteoside and total phenylethanoid glycosides (PeGs) in cultured cells all increased over the next 27 d by over 100% to 15 mg g(-1) dry wt, 9 mg g(-1) dry wt and 57 mg g(-1) dry wt, respectively. The final biomass (1.3 mg dry wt ml(-1)) was not affected.