Abstract
Hairy roots were induced by inoculation with Agrobacterium rhizogenes (strain 15834) on sterile seedlings of Hyoscyamus niger. The axenic culture of hairy roots, isolated from the seedlings, proliferated 2760 to 3750-fold based on the initial dry weight after five weeks of culture in Gamborg B5 (B5), Murashige & Skoog (MS) and Woody Plant (WP) liquid media. Hyoscyamine as the main tropane alkaloid was isolated in a high yield, together with scopolamine, 6β-hydroxyhyoscyamine and 7β-hydroxyhyoscyamine from the hairy roots of H. niger. Rapid growth of the hairy roots was observed in WP medium, but not in B5 medium. On the other hand, a relatively high content of hyoscyamine was obtained in MS medium, but low in WP medium. B5 medium showed moderate growth and hyoscyamine production. A change in the concentrations of sucrose and potassium nitrate in the B5 medium gave improved results in growth and alkaloid production. The highest content (2.7%, dry weight) of hyoscyamine was observed in MS liquid medium.
