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Effect of copper and zinc on the in vitro regeneration of Rauvolfia serpentina

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Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

The present study exemplifies morphogenic roles played by copper and zinc during micropropagation of Rauvolfia serpentina, an important medicinal shrub. Incorporation of 20 μM CuSO4 or 25 μM ZnSO4 to a Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with optimized concentrations of auxins and cytokinins induced a maximum number of shoots per explant (40.67 ± 1.76 and 45.47 ± 0.24, respectively). However, higher concentrations of both the micronutrients negatively affected the morphogenic potential. The pigment content of the regenerants increased up to the optimal concentrations of both metals and thereafter decreased, whereas the maximum proline content was at the highest concentrations used. In vitro rooting of healthy shoots was accomplished using 0.5 μM IBA in a half strength liquid MS medium with 8.20 ± 0.37 roots, and root length of 5.50 ± 0.14 cm per microshoot. The plants survived a hardening procedure and were successfully acclimatized to field conditions with 95 % survival.

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Abbreviations

BA:

6-benzyladenine

Car:

carotenoids

Chl:

chlorophyll

IBA:

indole-3-butyric acid

MS medium:

Murashige and Skoog medium

NAA:

α-naphtha-lene acetic acid

PGRs:

plant growth regulators

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India

    N. Ahmad, M. I. Khan, N. Fatima & M. Anis

  2. Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    A. A. Alatar, M. Faisal & A. K. Hegazy

  3. Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt

    A. K. Hegazy

Authors
  1. N. Ahmad
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  2. A. A. Alatar
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  3. M. Faisal
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  4. M. I. Khan
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  5. N. Fatima
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  6. M. Anis
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  7. A. K. Hegazy
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Correspondence to N. Ahmad.

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Acknowledgements: The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University, Riyadh, for funding the work through the research group project number RGP-VPP-175.

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Ahmad, N., Alatar, A.A., Faisal, M. et al. Effect of copper and zinc on the in vitro regeneration of Rauvolfia serpentina . Biol Plant 59, 11–17 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-014-0479-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-014-0479-5

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