Enhanced Production of Digoxin by Digitoxin Biotransformation Using In Situ Adsorption in Digitalis lanata Cell Cultures

For the enhanced production of a cardiac glycoside, digoxin, using in situ adsorption by biotransformation from digitoxin in plant cell suspension cultures, selection of proper resins was attempted and the culture conditions were optimized. Among various kinds of resins tested, Amberlite XAD-8 was found to be the best for digoxin production in considering adsorption characteristics as well as the effect on cell growth. Adequate time for resin addition was determined to be 36 h from the beginning of biotransformation and the presence of resins should be as short as possible to increase the productivity. In addition, to prevent the cells from direct contact with resin particles, immobilized systems were designed and examined. Immobilization further improved the advantages of in situ adsorption. It was confirmed that the increase of the contact area for mass transfer was an important factor in utilizing an immobilized system to enhance digoxin production.