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Shoot regeneration and free-radical scavenging activity in Silybum marianum L.

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Abstract

The morphogenic potential and free-radical scavenging activity of the medicinal plant, Silybum marianum L. (milk thistle) were investigated. Callus development and shoot organogenesis were induced from leaf explants of wild-grown plants incubated on media supplemented with different plant growth regulators (PGRs). The highest frequency of callus induction was observed on explants incubated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 5.0 mg l−1 6-benzyladenine (BA) after 20 days of culture. Subsequent transfer of callogenic explants onto MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg l−1 gibberellic acid (GA3) and 1.0 mg l−1 α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) resulted in 25.5 ± 2.0 shoots per culture flask after 30 days following culture. Moreover, when shoots were transferred to an elongation medium, the longest shoots were observed on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg l−1 BA and 1.0 mg l−1 NAA, and these shoots were rooted on a PGR-free MS basal medium. Assay of antioxidant activity of in vitro and in vivo grown tissues revealed that significantly higher antioxidant activity was observed in callus than all other regenerated tissues and wild-grown plants.

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Abbreviations

BA:

6-Benzyladenine

DPPH 1:

1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl

FRSA:

Free-radical scavenging activity

GA3 :

Gibberellic acid

Kn:

Kinetin

MS0:

MS medium without plant growth regulators

½ MS:

Half-strength macro-nutrients of MS medium

NAA:

α-Naphthaleneacetic acid

PGRs:

Plant growth regulators

Zn:

Zeatin

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Acknowledgments

Support of Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) is highly acknowledged. Authors also appreciated Dr. Saleem A. Bokhari for his critical reading of manuscript.

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Correspondence to Bilal Haider Abbasi.

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Abbasi, B.H., Khan, M.A., Mahmood, T. et al. Shoot regeneration and free-radical scavenging activity in Silybum marianum L.. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 101, 371–376 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-010-9692-x

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