Micropropagation of calla lily (Zantedeschia rehmannii)

The aim of this study was to develop methods for the in vitro propagation of Zantedeschia rehmannii. Zantedeschia rehmannii tuber fragments (1 cm2) containing eyes were soaked for 30 s in a solution containing 100 mg dm−3 L-ascorbic acid (AA) before transfer to culture vessels containing an MS medium supplemented with BAP (0 to 3 mg dm−3). Cultures were maintained in darkness. Soaking explants in an L-ascorbic acid solution improved the establishment of explants. Culture initiation should be conducted on media supplemented with 3 mg dm−3 BAP. On a multiplication stage, adventitious shoots were placed on MS media supplemented with cytokinin: BAP (0.5 to 5 mg dm−3), KIN (0.5 to 5 mg dm−3), TDZ (0.1 to 1 mg dm−3) and 2iP (2.5 to 15 mg dm−3) or BAP (0.5 to 7.5 mg dm−3) with IAA (0.5 to 2 mg dm−3). The highest coefficient of multiplication for Zantedeschia was obtained on the medium with the addition of 2.5 mg dm−3 BAP, which positively affected the shoot length (3.41 cm) and the number of adventitious shoots (4.13). Rooting took place on media supplemented with IBA, IAA and NAA at a concentration of 0.1 to 2 mg dm−3. The most numerous and the longest roots were found in plants placed on a medium with the addition of 0.1 mg dm−3 IBA

Biofertlizer Lumbrical improves the growth and ex vitro acclimatization of micropropagated pear plants

In vitro micropropagation of plants is highly useful for obtaining large quantities of planting material with valuable economic qualities. However, plantlets grow in vitro in a specific environment and the adaptation after the transfer to ex vitro conditions is difficult. Therefore, the acclimatization is a key step, which mostly determines the success of micropropagation. The aim of this investigation was to study the effect of the biofertlizer Lumbrical on ex vitro acclimatization of micropropagated pear rootstock OHF 333 (Pyrus communis L.). Micropropagated and rooted plantlets were potted in peat and perlite (2:1) mixture with or without Lumbrical. They were grown in a growth chamber at a temperature of 22±2 °C and photoperiod of 16/8 hours supplied by cool-white fluorescent lamps (150 µmol m-2 s-1 Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density, PPFD). The plants were covered with transparent foil to maintain the high humidity, and ten days later, the humidity was gradually decreased. Biometric parameters, anatomic-morphological analyses, net photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll a fluorescence (JIP test) were measured 21 days after transplanting the plants to ex vitro conditions. The obtained results showed that the plants, acclimatized ex vitro in the substrate with Lumbrical, presented better growth (stem length, number of leaves, leaf area and fresh mass) and photosynthetic characteristics as compared to the control plants. This biostimulator could also be used to improve acclimatization in other woody specie

Riboflavin - properties, occurrence and its use in medicine

Riboflavin is built on an isoalloxazin ring, which contains three sixcarbon rings: benzoic, pyrazine and pyrimidine. Riboflavin is synthesized by some bacteria, but among humans and animals, the only source of flavin coenzymes (FAD, FMN) is exogenous riboflavin. Riboflavin transport in enterocytes takes place via three translocators encoded by the SLC52 gene. Deficiency of dietary riboflavin has wide ranging implications for the efficacy of other vitamins, the mechanism of cellular respiration, lactic acid metabolism, hemoglobin, nucleotides and amino acid synthesis. In studies it was found that, pharmacologic daily doses (100 mg) have the potential to react with light, which can have adverse cellular effects. Extrene caution should be exercised when using riboflavin as phototherapy in premature newborns. At the cellular level, riboflavin deficiency leads to increased oxidative stress and causes disorders in the glutathione recycling process. Risk factors for developing riboflavin deficinecy include pregnancy, malnutrition (including anorexia and other eating disorders, vegitarianism, veganism and alcoholism. Furthermore, elderly people and atheletes are also at risk of developing this deficiency. Widespread use of riboflavin in medicine, cancer therapy, treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, corneal ectasia and viral infections has resulted in the recent increased interest in this flavina

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) Analysis of Essential Oils from AgNPs and AuNPs Elicited <i>Lavandula angustifolia</i> In Vitro Cultures

The aim of this study was to determine how the addition of gold and silver nanoparticles to culture media affects the composition of essential oils extracted from Lavandula angustifolia propagated on MS media with the addition of 10 and 50 mg&#183;dm&#8722;3 of gold (24.2 &#177; 2.4 nm) and silver (27.5 &#177; 4.8 nm) nanocolloids. The oil extracted from the lavender tissues propagated on the medium with 10 mg&#183;dm&#8722;3 AgNPs (silver nanoparticles) differed the most with respect to the control; oil-10 compounds were not found at all, and 13 others were detected which were not present in the control oil. The addition of AuNPs (gold nanoparticles) and AgNPs to the media resulted in a decrease of lower molecular weight compounds (e.g., &#945;- and &#946;-pinene, camphene, &#948;-3-carene, p-cymene, 1,8-cineole, trans-pinocarveol, camphoriborneol), which were replaced by those of a higher molecular weight (&#964;- and &#945;-cadinol 9-cedranone, cadalene, &#945;-bisabolol, cis-14-nor-muurol-5-en-4-one, (E,E)-farnesol)

Influence of jasmonic acid on the growth and antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. propagated in vitro

The aim of the study was to determine the influence of jasmonic acid added to culture medium on the growth of plants and antioxidant properties of dry plant material, as well as on the antimicrobial properties of essential oils produced by the narrow-leaved lavender. For plant propagation, MS media supplemented with JA at concentrations of 0.2-1.5 mg dm−3 were used. The use of the lower JA concentrations did not influenced the growth parameters measured, whereas at the higher concentrations (1 and 1.5 mg dm−3) JA caused growth inhibition and a decrease in plant weight. With increasing JA concentration, the number of secretory trichomes decreased. Addition of 0.5 mg dm−3 JA caused an increase in secretory trichome diameter on both the adaxial and abaxial surface of leaves (83.3 and 73.2 μm, respectively). The antioxidant activity of the lavender plants propagated on media with the addition of JA (regardless of the concentration used) was higher than that of the control plants. The plants from JA-supplemented media were used to isolate essential oils, the antimicrobial activity of which was tested using the disc diffusion method at the concentrations of 10 and 50%. All the oils tested exhibited activity towards Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Candida albicans. The essential oils isolated from the plants propagated on the medium with 1 mg dm−3 JA were characterized by the highest antimicrobial activity against the majority of the tested microorganisms

Effect of AuNPs and AgNPs on the Antioxidant System and Antioxidant Activity of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) from In Vitro Cultures

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of gold and silver nanoparticles on the activity of antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidase (POX), and catalase (CAT)), the free radical scavenging capacity, and the total polyphenol capacity of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) cultivar &ldquo;Munstead&rdquo; propagated in vitro. In the experiment, fragments of lavender plants were cultivated in vitro on medium with the addition of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 mg∙dm&minus;3 of AgNPs or AuNPs (particle sizes 24.2 &plusmn; 2.4 and 27.5 &plusmn; 4.8 nm, respectively). It was found that the nanoparticles increase the activity of the antioxidant enzymes APX and SOD; however, the reaction depends on the NP concentration. The highest APX activity is found in plants propagated on media with 2 and 5 mg∙dm&minus;3 of AgNPs. AuNPs significantly increase the APX activity when added to media with a concentration of 10 mg∙dm&minus;3. The highest SOD activity is recorded at 2 and 5 mg∙dm&minus;3 AgNP and AuNP concentrations. The addition of higher concentrations of nanoparticles to culture media results in a decrease in the APX and SOD activity. The addition of AuNPs to culture media at concentrations from 2 to 50 mg∙dm&minus;3 increases the POX activity in comparison to its activity when AgNPs are added to the culture media. No significant influence of NPs on the increase in CAT activity was demonstrated. AgNPs and AuNPs increased the free radical scavenging capacity (ABTS&bull;+). The addition of NPs at concentrations of 2 and 5 mg∙dm&minus;3 increased the production of polyphenols; however, in lower concentrations it decreased their content in lavender tissues

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. field-grown and propagated in vitro

In the study, micropropagation of three varieties of Lavandula angustifolia was developed, and the appearance of trichomes, antioxidant activity of extracts and antimicrobial activity of essential oils isolated from plants growing in field conditions and in vitro cultures were compared. The study evaluated the number of shoots, and the height and weight of the plants grown on media with additions of BAP, KIN and 2iP. The greatest height was attained by the lavenders growing on MS medium with the addition of 1 mg dm-3 2iP - ‘Ellagance Purple’. The greatest number of shoots was developed by the ‘Ellagance Purple’ and ‘Munstead’ plants growing on the medium with 2 mg dm-3 BAP. The highest weight was attained by the plants growing on the medium with the highest concentration of BAP - 3 and 5 mg dm-3. Moreover, the present study determined the influence of media with the addition of different concentrations of IBA and media with a variable mineral composition (½, ¼, and complete composition of MS medium) and with the addition of IBA or NAA for rooting. The majority of the media used had a positive influence on the development of the root system. The longest root system was observed in ‘Ellagance Purple’ growing on the medium composed of ¼ MS with 0.2 mg dm-3 NAA. All the examined oils exhibited activity towards S. aureus, S. epidermidis, P. aeruginosa, E. coli and C. albicans. The majority of the essential oils isolated from the plants propagated in vitro exhibited stronger antimicrobial activity than the field-grown plants. The plants propagated under in vitro conditions demonstrated considerably higher antioxidant activity as compared with the field-grown plants, which was determined using the DPPH, FRAP and ABTS assay