Polyacetylenes in hairy roots of a panax hybrid.

From the hairy roots of an interspecific hybrid ginseng ( Panax ginseng x P. quinquefolium) known as Pgq, three polyacetylenes were isolated: panaxynol, panaxydol and 1,8-heptadecadiene-3,10-diol. These compounds isolated from the hairy roots were used for quantitative analysis to investigate the polyacetylene production of the hairy roots cultured in Gamborg B5 (B5) and 1/8 Murashige-Skoog (MS) liquid media. Maximum growth of the hairy roots was observed (ca. 5.4 g fresh weight/100 mL flask) at 8 weeks of culture in B5 medium. The highest total content of total polyacetylenes was 0.18 % of dry weight at week 8 when cultured in 1/8 MS medium. In addition, we compared the yields of polyacetylenes and ginsenosides in hairy roots cultured in B5 with those in 1/8 MS media and found the highest yields were obtained in the hairy roots cultured in B5 medium (1.24 mmol/flask polyacetylenes and 4.45 mmol/flask ginsenosides at week 8).