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In vitro propagation via organogenesis and embryogenesis of Cyrtanthus mackenii: a valuable threatened medicinal plant

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Abstract

Efficient and simple, organogenesis (direct and indirect) and somatic embryogenesis (cell suspension) systems were developed for in vitro propagation of Cyrtanthus mackenii, a valuable economic plant from leaf explants cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various concentrations and combinations of sucrose, plant growth regulators (PGRs), glutamine, phloroglucinol (PG) and 6-(2-hydroxy-3-methylbenzylamino) purine (PI55). MS medium solidified with 8 g L−1 agar (MSS) containing 40 g L−1 sucrose, 10 µM picloram, 2.5 µM benzyladenine (BA) and 20 µM glutamine produced a higher number of shoots from white nodular callus. This was however, not significantly different to direct shoot regeneration on media containing 10 µM picloram, 2.5 µM BA and a reduced concentration of sucrose and glutamine. The regenerated shoots were rooted best with MSS medium incorporating 10 µM PG. The number of somatic embryos (SEs) were significantly higher using liquid MS medium containing 30 g L−1 sucrose, 0.5 µM picloram, 1 µM thidiazuron or BA and 3 µM glutamine or gibberellic acid. The embryos were germinated in PGR-free MSS medium. All plantlets were successfully acclimatized in the greenhouse. Histological studies confirmed the different developmental stages and bipolar structure of SE. The organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis protocols provides a system for large scale propagation and germplasm conservation. Developed protocols can be used for clonal production and pharmacological and genetic transformation studies.

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Acknowledgements

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Pietermaritzburg is gratefully acknowledged for financial support, as well as the Microscopy & Microanalysis Unit (MMU), UKZN, Pietermaritzburg for microscopic assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa

    Aloka Kumari, Ponnusamy Baskaran & Johannes Van Staden

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  1. Aloka Kumari
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  2. Ponnusamy Baskaran
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  3. Johannes Van Staden
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Correspondence to Johannes Van Staden.

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Communicated by M. I. Beruto.

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Kumari, A., Baskaran, P. & Van Staden, J. In vitro propagation via organogenesis and embryogenesis of Cyrtanthus mackenii: a valuable threatened medicinal plant. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 131, 407–415 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-017-1293-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-017-1293-5

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