Effects of polysaccharide elicitors from endophytic Fusarium oxysporium Dzf17 on growth and diosgenin production in cell suspension culture of Dioscorea zingiberensis.

Three polysaccharides, namely exopolysaccharide (EPS), water-extracted mycelial polysaccharide (WPS) and sodium hydroxide-extracted mycelial polysaccharide (SPS), were prepared from the endophytic fungus Fusarium oxysporium Dzf17 isolated from the rhizomes of Dioscorea zingiberensis. The effects of the time of addition and polysaccharide concentration on the growth and diosgenin accumulation in cell suspension culture of D. zingiberensis were studied. Among them, WPS was found to be the most effective polysaccharide. When WPS was added to the medium at 20 mg/L on the 25th day of culture, the cell dry weight was increased 1.34-fold, diosgenin content 2.85-fold, and diosgenin yield 3.83-fold in comparison to those of control. EPS and SPS showed moderate and relatively weak enhancement effects on cell growth and diosgenin accumulation, respectively. The dynamics of cell growth and diosgenin accumulation when WPS was added to the medium at 20 mg/L on the 25th day of culture were investigated, and results showed that dry weight of cells reached a maximum value on day 30 but the maximum diosgenin content was achieved on day 31.