Enhanced taxane production and secretion from Taxus baccata cell culture by adding dimethylsulfoxide

The ability of an aprotic solvent, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), to induce taxane synthesis and release from cell suspension culture of Taxus baccata was examined. The results showed that applying DMSO in optimal conditions not only led to enhancement in taxane excretion from the cells but also led to improvement in taxol synthesis. Maximum yields for taxol [3.34 mg/g dry cell weight (DCW)] were achieved by adding 5% DMSO to the culture at the late-exponential phase of cell growth (day 14) and culturing for 21 days, which was 2.26-fold of that for the control (1.48 mg/g DCW). However, adding 5% DMSO did not affect the yield of 10-deacetyl baccatin III and baccatin III. This condition also resulted in maximum extracellular taxane (4.86 mg/L); this value was 2.82-fold higher than that in the control (1.72 mg/L). We demonstrated that the late-exponential phase of cell growth could be the best time to add elicitor for maximizing the yield of taxol. Adding DMSO at earlier times (days 1 and 7) or in other concentrations (1% and 3%) had negative effects on taxane synthesis. Overall results suggest that DMSO has good potential to enhance synthesis and release taxol from cell suspension culture of T. baccata L.