ABSTRACT
Effects of sucrose concentrations and light on the growth and production of total isoflavones and puerarin in Pueraria phaseoloides hairy roots cultured onto solid MS media supplemented with 1%, 3%, 5%, 7% and 9% sucrose, respectively, were investigated. The results showed that among the sucrose concentrations tested, 3% sucrose in the medium enhanced the growth and stimulated accumulation of total isoflavones and puerarin in P. phaseoloides hairy roots, After cultured for 20 days, the biomass of hairy roots reached 0.48 g (DW dry weight)/flask and its contents of total isoflavones and puerarin were 25.44 mg/g (DW) and 11.64 mg/g (DW), respectively. In comparison with 3% sucrose, the dry weight proliferation of hairy roots cultured with 5% sucrose was increased by 7.0%, while cultured with 1%, 7% and 9% sucrose, the dry weight proliferation of hairy roots was decreased by 62.4%, 42.8% and 65.3%, their total isoflavones content was decreased by 57.4%, 13% and 33.4% and their puerarin content was decreased by 47.9%, 15.8% and 35.1%; but their content of total soluble sugars was increased 0.52, 1.45 and 1.54 times, respectively. Compared with hairy roots in blue light and white light, the biomass of hairy roots cultured in the dark for 30 days was 0.83 g (DW)/flask and was increased by 37.1% and 23.3%, respectively. The content of total isoflavones in hairy roots cultured in white light was as much as 1.15 times and 1.19 times that in blue light and in the dark, respectively. It was also observed that hairy roots cultured in blue light and white light partly became light green and that blue light could inhibit accumulation of puerarin in hairy roots and the puerarin content in hairy root cultured in white light and in the dark were 1.61 times and 1.52 times that in blue light, respectively.