Abstract
Taraxacum officinale (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg, commonly known as dandelion, is a cosmopolitan and perennial weed, which has medicinal properties. In vitro propagation methods are widely used on plants that have difficulties in cultivation and, consequently, low extraction yields of active metabolites. Thus, callus culture has been considered to be useful for the accumulation of several metabolites. In this study, we aimed to establish an efficient protocol for callus induction and maintenance of T. officinale, for which explant type, carbon source, light conditions, and nine different combinations of plant growth regulators (PGRs), such as 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) (from 0.05 to 0.5 mg/L) and 6-benzylaminopurine acid (BAP) (from 0.5 to 3.0 mg/L), were evaluated. The results showed that hypocotyls and roots from sterile seedlings are the best sources for callus induction, with 100% of callogenesis at every condition tested, and more than 95% of viability and friability. Complete darkness and a medium supplemented with sucrose at 2.3% (w/v) and 0.5 mg/L of NAA and 0.5 mg/L of BAP were the best conditions for callus induction, showing callus with low organogenesis and high friability. This study provides a basis for future studies on improving large-scale callus propagation and further establishment of suspension culture systems for commercial purposes.
Highlights
The Taraxacum genus is a well-known medicinal plant; limited propagation studies have been carried out since the interest in Taraxacum koksaghyz as a natural rubber source during World War II came to an end
The MANOVA results from Experiments 1, 2 and 3 regarding the effect of light, explant type, carbon source, and plant growth regulators (PGRs) on callus induction from T. officinale are presented in Tables S4 and S5
For callus maintenance, testing different benzylaminopurine acid (BAP)-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) concentrations at equal amounts resulted in the selection of 3.0 mg/L of NAA and 3.0 mg/L of BAP as conditions that promote cell proliferation in good quality
Summary
The Taraxacum genus is a well-known medicinal plant; limited propagation studies have been carried out since the interest in Taraxacum koksaghyz as a natural rubber source during World War II came to an end. Propagation studies of this genus have gained relevance due to the necessity of natural medicines that are spreading worldwide. In this sense, Taraxacum is being considered to be a potential source of interesting medicinal compounds because several compounds targeted for their anticancer, antibacterial, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties are present in its tissues, such as terpenoids and phenolics [1,2]. In vitro propagation methods are widely used on plants that have difficulties in cultivation or with low bioactive compounds extraction yields. The impact that has been achieved through this in vitro plant cultivation method for producing valuable commercially important products which include pigments (e.g., anthocyanins and betacyanins), anti-inflammatory agents (e.g., berberine and rosmarinic acid), and molecules (e.g., paclitaxel and podophyllotoxin) [4,5]
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