Adventitious roots of ginseng were treated with methyl jasmonate (MJ) up to 150 muM and cultured for 40 days. Up to 100 muM MJ inhibited the root growth but increased ginsenoside accumulation. In a two-stage bioreactor culture, total ginsenosides, after elicitation with 100 muM MJ peaked after 10 days at 48 mg g(-1) dry wt and then dropped sharply. Of the two groups of ginsenosides ( Rb and Rg), higher amounts of Rb accumulated in the adventitious roots.