Iontophoretic release and transport of alkaloids from Catharanthus roseus cells in a ceramic hollow fiber reactor

An iontophoretic device with a configuration similar to that of a single hollow fiber reactor was found to enhance the release and transport of intracellular alkaloids from Catharanthus roseus cells. As the applied current increased from 1 to 2 milliamperes, the rate of release and transport of alkaloids almost doubled. Pretreatment of the cells with DMSO further enhanced the production.