Journal of
Medicinal Plants Research

  • Abbreviation: J. Med. Plants Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0875
  • DOI: 10.5897/JMPR
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 3846

Full Length Research Paper

Efficient protocols for in vitro axillary bud proliferation and somatic embryogenesis of the medicinal plant Anemopsis californica

Araceli Rodríguez-Sahagún1*, Daniel Rojas-Bravo1, Gustavo J. Acevedo-Hernández1, Martha I. Torres-Morán2, Florentina Zurita-Martínez1, Melesio Gutiérrez-Lomelí1, Carmen L. Del Toro-Sánchez1 and Osvaldo Castellanos-Hernández1
1Centro Universitario de la Ciénega. Universidad de Guadalajara. Av. Universidad, Núm.1115, Col. Lindavista, 47820 Ocotlán, Jalisco, Mexico. 2Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias. Universidad de Guadalajara, Km 15.5 Carr. Guadalajara-Nogales, Las Agujas, Nextipac, 45110 Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 09 March 2012
  •  Published: 14 June 2012

Abstract

Anemopsis californica, commonly known as yerba mansa, is an important medicinal plant that has traditionally been used to treat a variety of digestive, respiratory and skin ailments, and has been reported to possess anticancer properties. The increase in demand for this medicinal plant puts wild populations at risk due to over-harvesting; therefore, the development of alternatives such as in vitro propagation may help reduce this pressure on natural plant resources. The aim of this work was to develop protocols for the in vitropropagation of A. californica through axillary bud proliferation and somatic embryogenesis. Shoot bud multiplication was achieved using nodal explants from axenic seedlings, reaching the highest multiplication rate (on average 15 shoots per explant) when the culture medium was supplemented with 4 mg/L kinetin. Propagated shoots produced roots in medium containing 1 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid. Best induction of somatic embryogenesis (on average 19.75 embryos per explant) was obtained from leaf explants cultured on medium supplemented with 4 mg/L naphthalene acetic acid. These protocols may be used either for the commercial mass propagation of the species, studies on the production of secondary metabolites or as a basis for the development of genetic improvement strategies.

 

Key words: Multiple shoot proliferation, regeneration of embryos, plant growth regulators,yerba mansa.

Abbreviation

ANOVA, Analysis of variance; BA, 6-benzylaminopurine; 2,4-D, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid; IBA, indole-3-butyric acid; KIN, kinetin; MS, Murashige and Skoog medium; TDZ, thidiazuron; AD, adenine; NAA, naphthalene acetic acid.