Shoot-forming cultures of Pelargonium graveolens by Jar fermentation.

We were able to develop a shoot-forming culture of Pelargonium graveolens in jar fermentors by a modification of Linsmaier-Skoog's medium with 10-5M indoleacetic acid and 10-6M 6-benzyl-adenine. Young adventitious shoots (10g fresh weight) which had been cultured on agar media were inoculated into 5-liter jar fermentors containing 3-liters of medium and cultured under continuous illumination at 25°C with agitation of 3 liters/min (1vvm) aeration through sintered glassfilter. After 3 weeks, the yield was 145g fresh weight. The GC-pattern of volatile compounds in the extract of the shoot-forming culture was similar to that of natural Pelargonium leaf oil, and these volatile compounds in the shoot-forming culture were identified with standard compounds. But the content of citronellol (a major constituent of natural Pelargonium leaf oil) in the culture was less than that in intact leaves. With the use of 10-5M indolebutyric acid as auxin and reduced concentration of NH4+, the weight of the shoot-forming culture increased to 37.5-fold during 3 weeks of jar culture.