Evaluation of process parameters in the production of jasmonic acid

Introduction The term jasmonates is used to describe lipid derivatives synthesized via octadecanoid pathway and are mainly represented by jasmonic acid (JA) and its ester methyl jasmonate (MJ). In plants, jasmonates act in the defense mechanism [1], and recent reports have attributed to JA and MJ the ability to inhibit the growth of human cancer cells, yet having cytotoxic selectivity [2]. Due to the diverse biological activities related to jasmonates, studies have been conducted to optimize the bioproduction route of these molecules, and the use of strains of Botryosphaeria rhodina seems to be a viable alternative when compared to the extraction from plants [3]. In order to optimize the production process, some of the important parameters must be standardized and controlled, such as the microorganism strain, the culture medium composition and the operational features of the process [4]. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the inoculum size, medium supplementation with tryptone, the fermentation time and the interaction among these factors on the jasmonates production by the fungus Botryosphaeria rhodina.