Micropropagation of Plantago asiatica L. through culture of shoot-tips

Shoot-tip multiplication of the medicinal species - Plantago asiatica was carried on MS medium with IAA and BAP or kinetin. Best results in micropropagation were achieved by adding 0.1 mg/dm3 IAA and 1 mg/dm3 BAP. After 6 weeks shoots were transferred to MS medium for rooting. The resulting plantlets were transferred after 8 weeks into pots and after a period of adaptation into the ground (field culture).The species Plantago asiatica was propagated in vitro by shoot-tip multiplication for the first time

Effect of Sucrose Concentration on Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin Transformed Root Biomass, Caffeoylquinic Acid Derivative, and Flavonoid Production

Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin is a rare, pharmacopoeial, and medicinal plant, endemic to Siberia and endangered due to the massive collection of raw material from the natural habitat. The aim of the current study was to estimate the effect of sucrose concentration (0–7%) on R. carthamoides transformed root growth and on caffeoylquinic acid derivative (CQA) and flavonoid production. Sucrose in higher concentrations may induce osmotic stress and thus may affect secondary metabolism in plants. It was revealed that sucrose concentration influenced R. carthamoides transformed root biomass and modified the phenolic compound metabolic pathway. However, the dynamics of both processes varied significantly. The optimal sucrose level was different for biomass accumulation and the biosynthesis of specialized metabolite. The highest dry weight of roots was achieved for 7% sucrose (31.17 g L−1 of dry weight), while 1% sucrose was found to be optimal for phenolic acid and flavonoid production. Considering the dry weight increase and metabolite accumulation, 3% sucrose was revealed to give optimal yields of CQAs (511.1 mg L−1) and flavonoids (38.9 mg L−1). Chlorogenic acid, 3,5-, 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acids, 1,4,5-O-tricaffeoylquinic acid, and a tentatively-identified tricaffeoylquinic acid derivative 1 were found to be the most abundant specialized metabolites among the identified CQAs. Our findings indicate that R. carthamoides transformed roots may be an efficient source of CQA derivatives, with valuable health-promoting activities