Effect of supplementing terpenoid biosynthetic precursors on the accumulation of bilobalide and ginkgolides in Ginkgo biloba cell cultures

The effect of precursor feeding on the production of bilobalide and ginkgolides was studied with suspension cell cultures of Ginkgo biloba. The precursors greatly influenced the productivity of bilobalide and ginkgolides. Precursor supplementation increased the accumulation of both bilobalide and ginkgolides, and with positive effect on cell growth. The GA accumulation by cell cultures was influenced by precursors upstream in the metabolism, whereas the BB accumulation was under the influence of downstream precursors of the terpenoid biosynthetic pathway. Furthermore, precursor feeding modified the ratios of the BB, GA and GB in cells and cell cultures of G. biloba. The studies also aid in understanding effect of precursor feeding on the bilobalide and ginkgolides biosynthetic pathway.