The influence of the culture media on the growth and catechins and caffeine production was investigated in adventitious root cultures of tea tree. The growth rate of adventitious roots was higher than that of solid medium. Growth rate of adventitious roots was noted to be optimal in N6 liquid medium. Yields of (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) and caffeine were the highest when adventitious root cultures were maintained in Nitsch and B5 liquid medium, respectively. The production of (-)-epicatechin (EC) and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) from adventitious roots was maximal when cultured in 1/2MS liquid medium. The adventitious root extracts of tea tree produced on catechins as EC (20.77 mg/g) and EGCG (1.84 mg/g) in 1/2MS medium; EGC (24.39 mg/g) and caffeine (12.97 mg/g) in B5 medium and (-)-epigallocatechin (ECG) (2.16 mg/g) in Nitsch liquid medium.

• Yong-Duck Kim(Institute of Hadong Green Tea, Hadong-gun)
• Hak-Gon Kim(Division of Environmental Forest Science, Gyeongsang National Univ)
• Jong-Cheol Kim(Institute of Hadong Green Tea, Hadong-gun,)
• Seon Jeong Sim(Division of Environmental Forest Science, Gyeongsang National Univ)
• Ji-Yun Min(Sancheong Oriental Medicinal Herb Institute)
• Jung-Gyu Hwang(Institute of Hadong Green Tea)
• Seung Mi Kang(Depart. of Forest Research, Gyeongsangnam-do Forest Environment Research Institute)
• Hyun-Shik Moon(Division of Environmental Forest Science, Gyeongsang National Univ)
• Jong-Kab Kim(Division of Environmental Forest Science, Gyeongsang National Univ)
• Myung-Suk Choi(Division of Environmental Forest Science, Gyeongsang National Univ) Corresponding author