Effect of creatine and creatine lysinate on the in vitro cultivation and antioxidant potential of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni and Leontopodium alpinum Cass

Abstract

Stevia rebaudina Bertoni and Leontopodium alpinum Cass. (Asteraceae) are valuable plants, largely applied in traditional and formal medicine. Six variants of Murashige and Skoog media containing creatine or creatine lysinate at different concentrations (1, 5 and 10 mg/l) were used. The application of creatine lysinate in the MS nutrient media influenced positively the apical growth and elongation of stevia and edelweiss in vitro plants. The higher activities of the antioxidant enzymes (SOD, APX and GPX), as well as the higher content of flavonoids and phenols, were detected in stevia compared to edelweiss. The activity of CAT was much more pronounced in edelweiss. The activities of CAT, APX and GPX were found to decrease with the addition of creatine or creatine lysinate to the culture medium while the activity of SOD increased as this tendency is better expressed in L. alpinum. The selected concentrations of creatine and creatine lysinate did not show statistically significant differences in either of thе treatments compared to control in both the species measured by free radical scavenging capacity (DPPH method).