Method of using an elicitor to increase production of metabolites in biological cells

摘要

A method for culturing fungal and plant cells in a culture medium containing an elicitor to increase production of a metabolite produced by the cells. For example, tobacco leaves produce the metabolite nicotine and the nicotine is produced in significantly greater amounts when the tobacco is cultured in a elicitor-containing medium. The elicitor is an oxidized Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), or a glycosylated BSA, or an oxidized lysozyme, or glycosylated lysozyme or azetidine-2-carboxylic acid. Further, metabolite production is increased 1000% over the production of the metabolite when an elicitor is not added during the culturing method.