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Production of clonal planting materials from Gracilaria changii and Kappaphycus alvarezii through tissue culture and culture of G. changii explants in airlift photobioreactors

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Abstract

Global demand for seaweed resources has increased due to their emergent use as sources of biopharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and biofuels. These high-valued products make possible the use of micropropagation techniques that may be more costly than conventional mariculture. This study reports the successful tissue culture of Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty ex P. C. Silva and Gracilaria changii (B. Xia & Abbott) Abbott, Zhang and Xia. Callus induction of K. alvarezii was successfully developed following an explant sterilisation protocol. Callus formation and regeneration of K. alvarezii was observed in solidified Provasoli’s enriched seawater medium. Different culture conditions such as agar concentration, growth hormones, nutrients, irradiance and enrichment media were investigated to determine the suitable conditions for explant culture of G. changii. Proliferations of adventitious shoots were induced under the most suitable culture conditions. G. changii explants were successfully cultured in airlift photo-bioreactors, with no decrease in the carbohydrate content in the G. changii explants. This micropropagation technique can provide a useful alternative system for seedling production of economically important seaweeds.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia (E-Science Fund: 02-01-03-SF0148 and 04-01-03-SF0664; Top-down Project: 06-02-02-003 BTK/ER/016, Grant No: 39-02-03-9002/Oracle 8301902), the Malaysian Toray Science Foundation (Japan) Grant (MTSF 1050-2009A) and the University of Malaya Research Grants (UMRG Grant No: RG100-10SUS, F0233/2004D, P0114/2006A).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Hui-Yin Yeong & Siew-Moi Phang

  2. Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Siew-Moi Phang & Norzulaani Khalid

  3. Discipline of Marine Biotechnology and Ecology, CSIR—Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Bhavnagar, 364002, India

    C. R. K. Reddy

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  1. Hui-Yin Yeong
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  2. Siew-Moi Phang
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  3. C. R. K. Reddy
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  4. Norzulaani Khalid
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Correspondence to Hui-Yin Yeong.

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Yeong, HY., Phang, SM., Reddy, C.R.K. et al. Production of clonal planting materials from Gracilaria changii and Kappaphycus alvarezii through tissue culture and culture of G. changii explants in airlift photobioreactors. J Appl Phycol 26, 729–746 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-013-0122-4

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