Abstract
In vitro cell cultures of huckleberry and bilberry are sources of phytochemicals for use as food colorants and bioactive chemopreventives. Shoot cultures provide a convenient, presterile source of explants for production of callus rich in extractable pigments or other chemicals. Efficient callus formation only occurs with good-quality shoots. In this study, liquid and gelled support systems were compared in terms of their effect on shoot growth. Gellan gum-based support resulted in excellent shoot proliferation and suitable shoot length for huckleberry cultures, whereas bilberry performed slightly better on agar and agar/gellan gum support. Bilberry had a more-rapid growth rate than huckleberry. Hyperhydricity was found with the use of rafts for both species. These shoot cultures have been used as vegetative explants for callus, and have produced vivid anthocyanins in solution cultures.
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