Abstract
Aspilia africana (Pers.) C. D. Adams is an important medicinal plant, that has been used as traditional medicine in many African countries for the treatment of various health problems, including inflammatory conditions, osteoporosis, tuberculosis, cough, measles, diabetes, diarrhea, malaria, and wounds. We developed an efficient and reproducible protocol for in vitro regeneration of A. africana from nodes. We assessed the effects of plant tissue culture media on A. africana growth, cytokinins for in vitro shoot regeneration and proliferation, and auxins for the rooting of regenerated shoots. Furthermore, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rates, anatomy (leaves, stems, and roots), and Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectra (leaves, stems, and roots) of the in vitro regenerated and maternal A. africana plants were compared. Murashige and Skoog media, containing vitamins fortified with benzylaminopurine (BA, 1.0 mg/l), regenerated the highest number of shoots (13.0 ± 0.424) from A. africana nodal segments. 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA, 0.1 mg/l) produced up to 13.10 ± 0.873 roots, 136.35 ± 4.316 mm length, and was the most efficient for rooting. During acclimatization, the in vitro regenerated A. africana plants had a survival rate of 95.7%, displaying normal morphology and growth features. In vitro regenerated and mother A. africana plants had similar chlorophyll contents, photosynthetic rates, stem and root anatomies, and FT-NIR spectra of the leaf, stem, and roots. The established regeneration protocol could be used for large-scale multiplication of the plant within a short time, thus substantially contributing to its rapid propagation and germplasm preservation, in addition to providing a basis for the domestication of this useful, high-value medicinal plant.
Highlights
After an additional 6 weeks, A. africana shoots were collected from the soil-based plants, cut into nodal segments of about 30 mm in length, and surface sterilized in the same way as the shoot tips
The shoots of A. africana in De Greef and Jacobs (DJ) medium showed the highest increase in number of leaves at 325.0 ± 31.84%; this did not significantly differ from the increase in Murashige and Skoog (MS) (315.0 ± 36.66%), Woody Plant Medium (WPM) (316.7 ± 17.21%), or Linsmaier and Skoog (LS) medium (275.0 ± 8.33%) (Figure 6B)
Full strength MS medium fortified with 1.0 mg/l BA regenerated the highest number of shoots (13.0 ± 0.424) per nodal explant of A. africana, and MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/l NAA produced the maximum roots (13.10 ± 0.873) with good shoot length (136.35 ± 4.316 mm)
Summary
Aspilia africana is one of the most valuable medicinal plants in the wild and is widely used in communities where it occurs (Okoli et al, 2007; Eweka and Eweka, 2008; Okello and Kang, 2019; Niyonizigiye et al, 2020). Commonly referred to as the wild sunflower or the hemorrhage plant, is a plant species in the Asteraceae family that has been used for generations in a number of African countries to treat a range of health conditions (Ajeigbe et al, 2014; Okello et al, 2020) This medicinal plant is used in the treatment of inflammatory conditions, osteoporosis, stomach ache, tuberculosis, cough, measles, diabetes, rheumatic pains, ear infections, gastric ulcers, diarrhea, malaria, sores, bee, scorpion and wasp stings, febrile headaches, wounds, gonorrhea, and it serves as a contraceptive as well (Okoli et al, 2007; Eweka and Eweka, 2008; Komakech et al, 2019; Okello and Kang, 2019). Aspilia africana is rich in a number of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids (such as quercetin), phenolic compounds (including gallic acid and chlorogenic acid) (Niyonizigiye et al, 2020), terpenes (including beta-Caryophyllene, alpha, and beta-pinene and phytol; Komakech et al, 2019; Okello et al, 2020), saponins, and tannins accounting for its broad antimicrobial and biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, oxytocic, gastro-protective, anti-ulcer, wound healing, anti-cancer, antihypertensive, and anti-diabetic potential (Okoli et al, 2007; Ajeigbe et al, 2014; Komakech et al, 2019)
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