Phenolic compounds profiling in shake flask and bioreactor system cell cultures of Scrophularia striata Boiss

Variation in levels of phenolic acids and flavonoids in Scrophularia striata Boiss. cells cultured in both shake flask and bioreactor in vitro systems, was studied at different growth phases. Four phenolic acids (cinnamic, salicylic, coumaric, and caffeic acid), one stilbenoid (resveratrol), and seven flavonoids (diosmin, rutin, kaempferol, catechin, myricetin, quercetin, and luteolin) were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. Production of phenolics in the bioreactor was higher than in shake flasks. Catechin was the most abundant flavonoid in both culture systems, while quercetin, which was detected only in the bioreactor, was the lowest amount represented (32.82 μg g −1 DW). Resveratrol accumulation in bioreactor cultures was 59.84-fold higher than that in shake flasks. Moreover, hierarchical clustering analysis based on Pearson’s correlation coefficient confirmed a positive correlation between the growth phase and some metabolites. The flavonoid accumulation increased with the cells’ physiological age in the bioreactor. Principal component analysis showed that the time course of induction of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and a stilbenoid (resveratrol) was significantly correlated. These findings highlight the capacity of S. striata for large-scale production of desired phenolics using a bioreactor system.