Lobeline production by hairy root culture of Lobelia inflata L.

Hairy roots were obtained following inoculation of the stems of Lobelia inflata L. with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain ATCC 15834. These hairy roots contained agropine and mannopine. In addition, lobeline was detected by HPLC and confirmed by mass spectrometry. Various media were tested for the growth of hairy roots as well as for the content of lobeline in hairy roots. The growth rate of hairy roots cultured in Nitsch and Nitsch's medium was approximately one third of those cultured in other media. The lobeline content of hairy roots (18-54 μg/g dry weight) cultured in these media was the same order of magnitude compared with that of roots of L. inflata (24 μg/g dry weight) cultivated in pots. The hairy roots cultured in Nitsch and Nitsch's medium were morphologically different from those cultured in other media.