High performance liquid chromatography based quantification of reserpine in Rauwolfia tetraphylla L. and enhanced production through precursor feeding

Rauwolfia tetraphylla L., is an important medicinal plant in Apocynaceae family and is recognized as an alternative source to Rauwolfia serpentina L., in terms of anti-hypertensive alkaloid production i.e. reserpine. In view of this, the present study is conducted to estimate the reserpine content in different parts (leaf, stem and root) of field grown plants (2 years old), tissue cultured plantlets (R1) (two months old) and cell suspensions cultures (two months old with and without precursor feeding) of R. tetraphylla by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique. Overall maximum content of reserpine (in %) was estimated from the root samples. Roots of field grown plants has recorded high percent of reserpine (0.39%) followed by roots of tissue cultured plantlets (0.35%) and root callus based cell suspension cultures (0.38 %) which was fed with precursor amino acid (100 mg/L of tryptophan). In control type of root callus based cell suspension cultures, reserpine content was quantified as 0.14%; by precursor feeding (100 mg/L of tryptophan) it was enhanced to 0.38%. In conclusion, the reserpine content (0.35 and 0.38%) produced by the roots of tissue cultured plantlets (R1) and 100 mg/L tryptophan fed root callus based cell suspensions was comparable to that of the reserpine content (0.39%) of root parts of field grown plants. The present study demonstrates the reserpine production by in vitro cell suspension cultures throughout the year without sacrificing the medicinal plants.

Induction of secondary metabolites on nanoparticles stress in callus culture of Artemisia annua L.

Nanoparticles are known bio elicitors in plant biotechnology. Different concentrations of ZnO, CuO and CoO nanoparticles were used for the enhanced accumulation of secondary metabolites and antioxidant activities in the callus derived from root, shoot and leaf of Artemisia annua L. Biomass of callus was somehow affected on high concentrations of Nps. Phenolic content was observed maximum (60µg) in shoot callus at 0.1mg/l of CuONps. Total antioxidant activity was observed maximum (33µg) in root callus at 0.1mg/l of ZnOnps. Total reducing power maximum (33µg) was observed in root callus at concentration of 0.05 mg/l of CoONps. Maximum radical scavenging activity was observed in shoot callus at 0.05mg/l of ZnONps. Rutin gallic acid and caffic acid were also determined in most of the samples by HPLC. The study concludes that different Nps have positive effect on the induction of secondary metabolites in A.annua plant.

AGROCHEMICALS AND STEM CUTTING TYPES FOR PLANTLET PRODUCTION OF Spondias sp

ABSTRACT Umbu-caja (Spondias sp.) is a fruit tree native to the Northeast region of Brazil, which is grown because of its highly valuable fruits for fruit processing industries. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of agrochemical applications and cutting types on the rooting and development of Spondias sp. plantlets. The experiment was conducted at the experimental field of the Embrapa Tropical Agroindustry, in Pacajus, CE, Brazil. A randomize block experimental design was used, with five treatments - control (T1); cuttings with two lesions at the base (CL) + rooting gel (RG) (Sela Gel®) (T2); CL + rooting fertilizer (RF) (Radimax®) (T3); cuttings with two transversal cross sections at the base (CS) + RG (T4); and CS + RF (T5). The environments (blocks) used were: full sun; 100% shade ceiling; 50% shade walls and ceiling; and 50% shade ceiling. The plots consisted of eight cuttings, totaling 160 cuttings. Propagules were taken from Spondias sp. plants to make woody cuttings with length of 25 cm, diameter of 29.7 mm, and mean bud per cutting of 8.7. All cuttings were immediately treated with a 0.05% sodium hypochlorite solution for four minutes before making the lesions and transversal cross sections and applying the treatments. The RG was applied by brushstroke, and the RF was applied by immersion in an aqueous solution of 10 mL L-1 for 10 minutes. The cuttings were planted into 6-liter black plastic pots filled with a pasteurized mixture of vermiculite, coconut husk powder, ground leaf fibers of Copernicia prunifera, and carbonized rice husk (2:1:1:1; v v-1). The treatments and blocks significantly affected the rooting and development of cuttings. The treatment with CS and application of the RG (T4) promoted root callus formation, rooting, and vigorous development of plantlets, whereas the RF (T3 and T5) failed to promote root formation.

Comparative Study on the Antimicrobial Efficacy of Methanolic Extract of Root, Callus and Fruit Extracts of Myxopyrum smilacifolium Blume

The aim of the present study was to compare the antimicrobial efficacy of methanolic extract of root, callus and fruit of Myxopyrum smilacifolium Blume. Antimicrobial activity was tested using agar well diffusion with four bacterial strains viz: Escherechia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus of which E. coli alone was gram negative. The fungal strain employed was Candida albicans. Root extracts shown to be effective only against B. subtilis. Fruit extracts showed the maximum antimicrobial activity against all the microbial species considered for the current study except against S. aureus. Highlight of the present study was the antimicrobial activity of callus extracts. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v2i4.11362 Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 2(4): 521-524

Callus and cell suspension culture of Chelidonium majus L

Chelidonium majus L has long history as a being useful for the treatment of many diseases in Asian and European countries. Aim of this study is to cultivate callus and cell suspension culture in vitro using plant phytohormones. The proliferative capacity was tested on shoot and root explants, cultivated on Murashige-Skoog basal medium testing two auxins: 2,4-diclorphenoxiacetic acid (2.4D) and napheteline acetic acid in combination with cytokinine: kinnetine (K). Calluses were developed on MS medium with 0.5 mg/l Kin, 0.5 mg/l IAA from root explants, as well when added with 0.5 mg/l NAA and 0.5 mg/l Kin from shoot explants. More biomass of cell suspension culture of shoot and root callus was accumulated on MS medium added with 0.1mg/l Kin. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5564/mjas.v11i2.238 Mongolian Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol.11(2) 2013 pp.150-154