Danuta Kulpa

In vitro flowering of Petunia × atkinsiana D. Don

Abstract The aim of this study was an attempt to determine the influence of PGRs - auxins, cytokinins and gibberellic acid - on the flowering and morphogenesis of ‘Flash Red’ Petunia × atkinsiana D. Don in vitro. The best results at the propagation stage were obtained on an MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg dm-3 GA3. The petunia plants propagated under these conditions developed high main shoots and a large number of leaves and adventitious shoots. The plants with the best-developed root system were regenerated on an MS medium supplemented with 0.5 and 1.0 mg dm-3 IAA. Flowering initiation should be performed using an MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg dm-3 KIN.

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

Abstract 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.

Propagation Method and Distillation Apparatus Type Affect Essential Oil from Different Parts of Matricaria recutita L. Plants

Abstract The composition of the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from flowers and leaves-stems of Matricaria recutita L. cultivated in north-western Poland has been investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A comparative study of oil composition from the flowers and leaves-stems showed that the oil from flowers contained higher amounts of α-bisabolol oxide B, α-bisabolol oxide A, α-bisabolone oxide A and chamazulene, whereas spathulenol, (E)-β-farnesene and cis-en-yn-dicycloether were present in large amounts in the leaves-stems oil. The method of propagation (conventional and in vitro) had a significant effect on the percentage content of the essential oils components of leaves-stems. Moreover, there was statistically significant interaction between the concentration of the main essential oil components and type of apparatus for its extraction, and between the concentration of the main essential oil components and the propagation method. The highest amounts of chamazulene (15.42%) and α-bisabolone oxide A (18.36%) were noted in the oil obtained in Clevenger type apparatus from flowers of plants derived from in vitro propagation. The oil obtained in Deryng type apparatus from flowers of plants cultivated conventionally contained the highest amounts of α-bisabolol oxide A (19.60%) and α-bisabolol oxide B (25.56%). Spathulenol (14.85%) was found in the highest concentration in the oil obtained in Deryng type apparatus from leaves-stems of chamomile propagated in vitro, whereas the highest concentration of (E)-β-farnesene (17.52%) was noted in the oil obtained in Deryng type apparatus from leaves-stems of chamomile cultivated conventionally.

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

Abstract 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.

Micropropagation of calla lily (Zantedeschia rehmannii)

Abstract 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.