Scale-up of a novel centrifugal impeller bioreactor (CIB) was demonstrated for production of valuable plant-specific secondary metabolites by high-density cell cultures. Initial k(L)a was identified to be a key factor affecting cell growth and production of ginseng saponin and polysaccharide by high-density cultivation of Panax notoginseng cells in a 3-L CIB. A high level of ginseng saponin and polysaccharide production was obtained at an initial kLa value of 30.2 h(-1). A maximum dry cell weight (DW) and production titer of ginseng saponin and polysaccharide reached 22.0 +/- 0.3, 1.5 +/- 0.1, and 2.7 +/- 0.2 g/L on day 15 with their corresponding productivity of 1140 +/-42, 81 +/- 8, and 150 +/- 17 mg/(L(.)d), respectively. Based on initial k(L)a level, the CIB high-cell-density cultivation process was successfully scaled up from 3 L to 30 L. A maximum DW and production titer of ginseng saponin and polysaccharide in a 30-L CIB reached 25.5 +/- 0.5, 1.7 +/- 0.1, and 2.9 +/- 0.1 g/L (on day 15) at an initial k(L)a value of 28.7 h(-1), respectively, and their corresponding productivity was 1340 +/- 56, 91 +/- 9, and 164 = 15 mg/(L(.)d). Furthermore, by adopting a fed-batch cultivation strategy, a maximum DW and concentrations of total saponin and polysaccharide in the 30-L CIB were enhanced to 30.3 +/- 1.0, 2.1 +/- 0.1, and 3.5 +/- 0.2 g/L with their corresponding productivity of 1467 +/- 87, 102 +/- 13, and 179 +/- 18 mg/(L(.)d), respectively. The work suggests that the CIB may have great potential in large-scale high-density plant cell cultures for efficient production of useful secondary metabolites.