Fruit derived callus and cell suspension culture as promising alternative sources for mogrosides production in Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey: a zero-caloric natural sweetener

[Display omitted] •Cell culture was developed from fruit mesocarp of S. grosvenorii.•Sigmoid or S-shaped growth curve was observed in cell suspension culture.•The major metabolite mogroside V detected in callus and cell suspension culture.•11-Oxo-mogroside V, siamenoside I and mogroside IIIE content also quantified.•Feasible and alternative production platform for a low-calorie natural sweetener. The fruit of Siraitia grosvenorii (Luo Han Guo) is commercially consumed for its zero-calorie natural sweetener compounds known as mogrosides. The present work aimed to establish a cell culture platform from the fruit mesocarp and provide an alternative source for mogrosides production in S. grosvenorii. Bavistin at 1.0% with mercuric chloride at 0.1% were effective concentrations for explants sterilization. The maximum frequency of callus induction was observed in mesocarp (95.78%) and stem (97%) explants cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with thidiazuron (0.5 mg/L) and picloram (2.5 mg/L). The maximum proliferation response of suspended cells in suspension culture was observed in MS medium fortified with thidiazuron (0.3 mg/L) and indole-3-butyric acid (0.3 mg/L). Mogroside V (2.96 mg/g DW), 11-oxo-mogroside V (0.66 mg/g DW), siamenoside I (0.26 mg/g DW), and mogroside IIIE (0.08 mg/g DW) were quantified in mesocarp callus using UPLC–PDA–ESI-Q-TOF-MS technique. A comparable content of mogroside V (1.76 mg/g DW) and 11-oxo-mogroside V (0.68 mg/g DW) was also quantified in cell suspension derived from mesocarp callus with enhanced cell biomass (FW; 184.58 g/L). Therefore, the in vitro culture derived from fruit mesocarp was shown to be a potential source for mogrosides production.