Obtaining 2,3-Dihydrobenzofuran and 3-Epilupeol from Ageratina pichinchensis (Kunth) R.King & Ho.Rob. Cell Cultures Grown in Shake Flasks under Photoperiod and Darkness, and Its Scale-Up to an Airlift Bioreactor for Enhanced Production

Ageratina pichinchensis (Kunth) R.King & Ho.Rob. is a plant used in traditional Mexican medicine, and some biotechnological studies have shown that its calluses and cell suspension cultures can produce important anti-inflammatory compounds. In this study, we established a cell culture of A. pichinchensis in a 2 L airlift bioreactor and evaluated the production of the anti-inflammatory compounds 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran (1) and 3-epilupeol (2). The maximum biomass production (11.90 ± 2.48 g/L) was reached at 11 days of culture and cell viability was between 80% and 90%. Among kinetic parameters, the specific growth rate (µ) was 0.2216 days(−1) and doubling time (td) was 3.13 days. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of extracts showed the maximum production of compound 1 (903.02 ± 41.06 µg/g extract) and compound 2 (561.63 ± 10.63 µg/g extract) at 7 and 14 days, respectively. This study stands out for the significant production of 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran and 3-epilupeol and by the significant reduction in production time compared to callus and cell suspension cultures, previously reported. To date, these compounds have not been found in the wild plant, i.e., its production has only been reported in cell cultures of A. pichinchensis. Therefore, plant cell cultured in an airlift reactor can be an alternative for the improved production of these anti-inflammatory compounds.