Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) shoot cultures as a scalable source of bioactive metabolites: from agar cultures to bioreactor systems
Abstract
This study presents a comprehensive biotechnological characterization of Salvia hispanica (chia) shoot cultures as a scalable source of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds. Cultures were established in agar, agitated, and temporary-immersion systems (TIS, Plantform bioreactors), with phenylalanine (Phe) supplementation to enhance secondary metabolism. Agitated cultures with 3 mmol/L Phe showed the highest rosmarinic acid production (8621.77 mg/100 g DW), over 40-fold higher than control cultures. LC–Q-Orbitrap HRMS analysis identified 127 metabolites, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and terpenoids, revealing significant shifts in phenolic biosynthesis upon Phe treatment. Bioreactor cultures achieved the highest biomass yield (8.43-fold increase) and elevated levels of vitamins C and E. Extracts obtained from agitated and bioreactor micorshoot cultures exhibited antibacterial and antifungal activity. The highest antibacterial activity was observed for extracts from agitated cultures supplemented with 3 mM Phe, particularly against Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus luteus , whereas extracts from bioreactor cultures generally showed lower antimicrobial activity. These findings demonstrate that combining precursor feeding, culture optimization, and metabolomics enables efficient production of rosmarinic acid-rich biomass with potential applications in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.
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BibTeX
@article{motykapedrak2026chia,
title = {{Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) shoot cultures as a scalable source of bioactive metabolites: from agar cultures to bioreactor systems}},
author = {Sara Motyka-Pędrak and Barbara Kusznierewicz and Katarzyna Tomaś and Tania Mesa and Núria F. Bermejo and Izabela Korona-Głowniak and Sergi Munné-Bosch and Lucyna Pomierny-Chamioło and Agnieszka Szopa},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-71665-1},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-71665-1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) shoot cultures as a scalable source of bioactive metabolites: from agar cultures to bioreactor systems
AU - Sara Motyka-Pędrak
AU - Barbara Kusznierewicz
AU - Katarzyna Tomaś
AU - Tania Mesa
AU - Núria F. Bermejo
AU - Izabela Korona-Głowniak
AU - Sergi Munné-Bosch
AU - Lucyna Pomierny-Chamioło
AU - Agnieszka Szopa
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-71665-1
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-71665-1
AB - This study presents a comprehensive biotechnological characterization of Salvia hispanica (chia) shoot cultures as a scalable source of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds. Cultures were established in agar, agitated, and temporary-immersion systems (TIS, Plantform bioreactors), with phenylalanine (Phe) supplementation to enhance secondary metabolism. Agitated cultures with 3 mmol/L Phe showed the highest rosmarinic acid production (8621.77 mg/100 g DW), over 40-fold higher than control cultures. LC–Q-Orbitrap HRMS analysis identified 127 metabolites, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and terpenoids, revealing significant shifts in phenolic biosynthesis upon Phe treatment. Bioreactor cultures achieved the highest biomass yield (8.43-fold increase) and elevated levels of vitamins C and E. Extracts obtained from agitated and bioreactor micorshoot cultures exhibited antibacterial and antifungal activity. The highest antibacterial activity was observed for extracts from agitated cultures supplemented with 3 mM Phe, particularly against Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus luteus , whereas extracts from bioreactor cultures generally showed lower antimicrobial activity. These findings demonstrate that combining precursor feeding, culture optimization, and metabolomics enables efficient production of rosmarinic acid-rich biomass with potential applications in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -