Arvind Bhatt

Effect of yeast extract and chitosan on shoot proliferation, morphology and antioxidant activity of Curcuma mangga in vitro plantlets

This paper reported the effect of yeast extract and chitosan with combination of yeast extract on the growth and morphological changes and production of phenolics in the in vitro plantlets of Curcuma mangga . Yeast extract did not show any effect on the biomass and shoot proliferation of in vitro plantlets. However, the plantlets showed morphological abnormality when exposed to higher concentration of yeast extract (3.5 mgL -1 and above) supplemented into the culture medium. Plantlets cultured in media supplemented with 3.5 and 5.0 mgL -1 of yeast extract showed higher radical scavenging activity (RSA) which also indicated that stress induced by yeast extract might elicit the production of secondary metabolites which acted as free radical scavenger in 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The plantlets treated with different concentration of chitosan combined with 3.5 mgL -1 of yeast extract affected the biomass of C. mangga . The plantlets that were cultured in media supplemented with 150 mgL -1 of chitosan combined and 3.5 mgL -1 of yeast extract showed higher RSA towards DPPH as compared to the other treatments. Kinetic of DPPH free RSA from C. mangga extract was considered slow as compared to quercetin and the correlation between total phenolic content and RSA was poor (R 2 = 0.2293) for yeast extract and (R 2 = 0.0373) for chitosan combination with yeast extract. This indicated that the presence of phenolic compounds in the extracts were not the major factor contributing to the anti-oxidative activity of C. mangga. Key words: Curcuma mangga, in-vitro, elicitor, phenolics, anti-oxidative activities.

Ethnobotanical magnitude towards sustainable utilization of wild foliage in Arabian Desert

The present investigation was deals with identifying traditional uses of medicinal plants for curing a variety of ailments and degree of religious conservation for retention of ethnobotanical knowledge. The study was carried out in the State of Qatar to document the ethnobotanical uses of 58 medicinally important plant species including identification, botanical name, Arabic name, family, habit, habitat, distribution pattern, and the plant parts used for curing variety of ailments. The documented species belong to 54 plant genera and 30 botanical families. They have been used to cure more than 38 different kinds of human ailments. A majority of ethnobotanical plant species belonging to shrubs (41.38%) followed by perennial herbs (31.04%), annual herbs (18.96%) and trees (8.62%) respectively. The frequency of ethnobotanical plant species were recorded maximum in fabaceae (13.79%), followed by lamiaceae, chenopodiaceae (6.89% each), asteraceae, capparaceae, polygonaceae, boraginaceae, aizooaceae (5.17% each), brassicaceae, asclepiadaceae, convolvulaceae, zygophyllaceae, solanaceae (3.44% each) while, remaining 17 families had one (1.72%) species each. Perception of stakeholders concerning prioritization and categorization of potential native plants and 25 ethnobotanical species were prioritized and ranked on the basis of their multipurpose use value, feasibility climatic conditions and Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) criteria measures i.e. drought resistant, low water requirement, growth performance, survival rate, canopy size, adaptation potential, low maintenance and use value for sustainability and landscaping. The analysis emphasized the potentials of ethnomedicinal research, sustainable utilization, conservation initiatives, and urgent need to document ethnobotanical knowledge for sustainability and scientific validation to prevent their losses.

Maternal salinity environment affects salt tolerance during germination in Anabasis setifera : A facultative desert halophyte

The effects of maternal salinity and light incubation on the salinity tolerance of the facultative halophyte Anabasis setifera during their germination stages were assessed. Seeds were collected from non-saline habitats in Egypt and saline habitats in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The seeds of the two populations were germinated in 0, 100, 200, 400, 600 and 800 mM NaCl, and incubated at 25°C/15°C in both 12-h light and 12-h darkness regimes and continuous darkness. Significantly more seeds germinated in the Egyptian population than in the UAE population. Salinity tolerance was significantly greater with the Egyptian population than with the UAE population, especially under the conditions of higher salinities. The difference in salinity tolerance between the seeds of two populations was attributed to their seed mass. In addition, germination was significantly faster for the Egyptian population than for the UAE population. Most of the saline treated seeds were able to recover their germination when transferred to distilled water, but this depended on their maternal salinity and light incubation. Recovery from higher salinities was significantly better for the seeds under darkness than for those under light in the UAE population, but the reverse was true for the seeds in the Egyptian population. The higher salinity tolerance for the A. setifera seeds from the non-saline Egyptian population and the lower salinity tolerance for the seeds from the saline UAE population cannot explain their natural distribution. Further studies about other possible roles, such as levels of different promoting and inhibiting phytohormones, are needed to understand the importance of salinity as an environmentally induced maternal effect.

Influence of aerial seed banks on germination response in three desert plant species

Aims To determine if the germination response of desert plant species to a period of aerial storage in field conditions (i.e. mature seeds that remain attached to the parent plant) is comparable to seeds harvested at maturity and stored in ambient laboratory conditions, to better understand the role of aerial seed bank in the germination ecology of desert plants, using one annual and two perennial species. Methods Seeds of three desert plants (Anastatica hierochuntica, Blepharis ciliaris and Scrophularia deserti) that matured in June 2014, were collected from wild plants in June and November 2014, and germinated under two photoperiods (0, 12 hours light) and three thermoperiods (night/day temperatures of 15/25, 20/30 and 25/35 degrees C). Important Findings Seeds of B. ciliaris and S. deserti had significantly higher germination percentages when harvested and stored for five months, compared to being stored in the aerial seed bank. Germination percentages of these two species increased with decreasing temperature and in the presence of light. These results indicate that these species use a combination of aerial and soil seed banks to maintain a percentage of viable seeds through favourable germination periods. Germination percentages of A. hierochuntica were high under all tested circumstances, indicating that this species relies mainly on the aerial seed bank to maintain a percentage of viable seeds through favourable germination periods. This study shows that the population survival strategies of an aerial seed bank are species-specific. These results have practical implications for conservation and habitat restoration for these species, and also for their propagation since early collection of mature fruits and ex situ storage will result in greater germination percentages of some species.

Effects of maternal salinity on salt tolerance during germination of Suaeda aegyptiaca, a facultative halophyte in the Arab Gulf desert

Suaeda aegyptiaca is a facultative halophyte found in saline and non-saline habitats of the Arab Gulf desert, which produces small-sized undispersible seeds. The interactive effects of maternal salinity and other environmental conditions, such as salinity, light and temperatures, that are prevailing during seed germination have received little attention for a facultative halophyte. This study tested the effects of maternal salinity on salt tolerance during seed germination of S. aegyptiaca under different light and temperature regimes. Seeds collected from both saline and non-saline habitats of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were germinated in 0, 50, 100, 200 and 400 mM NaCl, and incubated at 15/25°C, 20/30°C and 25/35°C in both 12-h light/12-h dark regimes and continuous darkness. Generally, seeds of the non-saline habitat were 56% heavier and attained greater germination at the lower temperatures than seeds of the saline habitat. Seeds of the saline habitat germinated better in saline solutions at higher temperatures and in light. Germination was faster for seeds of the saline habitat than for seeds of non-saline habitats. Germination recovery after transfer to distilled water was significantly greater for seeds from the non-saline habitat, compared with seeds from saline habitats. Recovery was greater at lower and/or moderate temperatures, compared with at higher temperatures. Germination was significantly faster during recovery, compared with in the saline solutions. The study indicates that the maternal effect of salinity was confounded with the seed-size effect and it cannot be conclusively confirmed.

Sucrose, benzylaminopurine and photoperiod effects on in vitro culture of Kaempferia galanga Linn

Abstract Kaempferia galanga is a monocotyledonous plant of the Zingiberaceae family, commonly utilized for medicinal purposes. This study evaluates the effect of different concentrations of sucrose, benzylaminopurine (BA) and photoperiod on in vitro propagation of K. galanga. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 5 mg L−1 BA and 30 g L−1 sucrose, and a photoperiod with 4 h of light induced the highest shoot proliferation (7.4 ± 1.0 shoots/explant) and the highest number of roots/shoot (31.3 ± 3.2). On the contrary, the maximum shoot height (4.7 ± 0.7 cm) and the highest number of leaves/shoot (4.7 ± 0.2) were obtained from cultures using MS medium supplemented with 30 g L−1 sucrose but without BA, and exposed to 16 h of light. Hence MS medium supplemented with 5 mg L−1 BA and 30 g L−1 sucrose, and incubated under a 4 h light/20 h dark photoperiod was chosen as the optimal protocol for mass multiplication of K. galanga. This in-vitro technique can facilitate the production of a large number of uniform plants of K. galanga, irrespective of the seasonal factor, and could be used as a tool for conservation of the species.

Micropropagation of Homalomena pineodora Sulaiman & Boyce (Araceae): a new species from Malaysia

Homalomena pineodora (family Araceae) is a species found to have impressive foliage characteristics which remain evergreen throughout the year. Therefore, H. pineodora can be grown as an ornamental plant. Generally H. pineodora needs 3-5 years to propagate and multiply. However, the demand for new ornamental plants is increasing worldwide and the quality of planting material is a basic need for boosting productivity. Therefore an efficient micropropagation protocol for large-scale production of H. pineodora was developed. In vitro shoot cultures were initiated from the rhizomatous buds on MS basal medium. The best conditions for propagating H. pineodora was found to be MS medium supplemented with 3% sucrose and 0.5 mg L-1 BA (6-benzyladenine) under 24 h of cool fluorescent light which produced an average of 3.8 shoot per explant. Presence of an auxin was not necessary for plantlet production. Liquid MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L-1 BA, enhanced the shoot production of H. pineodora as compared to agar-gelled medium with same composition. All the in vitro plantlets of H. pineodora were successfully acclimatized with 100% survival rate. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the similarity of leaf microstructures between the in vitro and mother plants of H. pineodora.

Ecological role of distinct fruit-wing perianth color in synchronization of seed germination in Haloxylon salicornicum

Haloxylon salicornicum is a perennial shrub that grows in sandy and stony desert areas. This species produces two types of dispersal unit with yellow and pink winged perianths that are wind dispersed. This species has been considered as an excellent sand binder and can tolerate extreme temperature, drought and salinity. We compared the germination characteristics of both colored dispersal units (with and without a wing) under various light, temperature and salinity treatments. It was found that wing color, presence of wings, temperature and light have a significant effect on germination percentage and germination rate. The presence of a winged perianth significantly reduced the germination percentage and germination rate in both yellow and pink dispersal units. De-winged yellow dispersal units were able to tolerate higher salinity and, therefore, their germination was higher in all the tested concentrations of NaCl compared with pink de-winged dispersal units. However, salinity tolerance in both pink and yellow dispersal units decreased with increasing salinity concentration. The germination-recovery percentage was also higher for yellow compared with pink dispersal units. The present study has demonstrated that both morphological and physiological differences exist in different colored dispersal units, which might represent the combination of different complementary adaptive strategies and have ecological significance for Haloxylon salicornicums successful survival in harsh desert environmental conditions.

Medium optimization for cell biomass yield and anthocyanin production in cell suspension culture of Melastoma malabathricum

Macronutrients influence the cell biomass yield and anthocyanin production in plant cell suspension cultures. However, different species respond differently for different nutrient concentrations. In this study, we tested the effect of different concentrations of macronutrients on the cell cultures of Melastoma malabathricum L. The results showed that the addition of NH4NO3 did not show any increment in the cell biomass but it enhanced the anthocyanin accumulation. Results indicated that CaCl2.2H2O and MgSO4.7H2O played a more important role in anthocyanin accumulation than the cell growth of M. malabathricum. However, the presence or absence of KNO3 and KH2PO4 did not show any effect on either the cell biomass or the anthocyanin production.

ESTABLISHMENT OF A SHOOT PROLIFERATION PROTOCOL FOR BANANA (ABB GROUP) CV. ‘PISANG AWAK’ VIA TEMPORARY IMMERSION SYSTEM

□ Initial study of evaluating the factors affecting shoot proliferation of ‘Pisang Awak’ using temporary immersion system was carried out using four half shoots in each experimental unit as explants and repeated with four to seven experimental units for each factor. The inoculum size finally used for shoot proliferation was eight half-shoots for each experimental unit (250 mL culture flask) in MS liquid medium supplemented with 5.0 mg L−1 benzyladenine (BA) and 30 g L−1 sucrose, the shoot proliferation medium and an average of 4.9 ± 0.3 shoots was produced from each half-shoot explant after five weeks of culture. The final protocol for shoot proliferation using the temporary immersion system was established by inoculating eight half-shoot explants into the shoot proliferation medium adjusted to pH 5.7 with the inoculated shoots immersed once a day in the medium for 10 minutes. The cultures were incubated under continuous light for enhancement of shoot proliferation without vitrification.