Abstract: The release of intracellular salidroside could be effectively induced by decreasing the medium pH in cell suspension culture of Rhodiola sachalinensis A. Bor. The transport of salidroside across the membrane was a dynamic process with an H+ -antiport mechanism, in which the ratio of intra- and extra-cellular salidroside content was medium pH dependant. If the cultured cells were induced to release salidroside in a medium with a constant pH of 3 for less than 3 h, the growth ability of the cells were retained. When transferred to the productive medium, the treated cells still sustained their ability of synthesizing salidroside.

Key words: Rhodiola sachalinensis, Salidroside, Secondary metabolites, Cell suspension culture