Abstract
The use of ascorbic acid during explants preparation and the effect of different concentrations of ascorbic acid in controlling lethal browning and survival of the explants in local banana cv. Mzuzu banana were investigated. The explants were taken from young suckers . The shoot tips were cultured on Murashige and Skoog’s media supplemented with 5 mg/l of benzylaminopurine (BAP) and different concentrations of ascorbic acid (0, 50, 100 and 200 mg/l). Completely randomized design was used in this study. The results indicate that the use of ascorbic acid as an antioxidant during explants preparation significantly reduced the extent of lethal browning and survival of the explants followed by 100 mg/l of ascorbic acid applied directly into the media. Keywords: Micro propagation, surface sterilization, survival of explants, tissue culture African Journal of Biotechnology , Vol 13(16), 1721-1725
Highlights
Banana contains constituents of phenolic enzymes principally polyphenoloxidase enzyme
The darkening or browning of the media in tissue culture is caused by exudation and oxidation of phenollic compounds which results in the formation of quinones which are highly reactive and toxic to plant tissues (Ko et al, 2009)
Treating the explants with 1.2 g/l of ascorbic during explants preparation and addition of 100 mg/l in the growth medium controlled the extent of lethal browning of the explants significantly compared with the rest of different concentrations of ascorbic acid added to the media after four weeks of experimentation
Summary
Banana contains constituents of phenolic enzymes principally polyphenoloxidase enzyme. Browning reactions and astringency of the fruit caused by phenolic compounds are responsible for high mortality rate (lethal browning) in third generation of tissue culture. This process is initiated by browning of the surface of plant tissues due to the oxidation of phenolic compounds resulting in the formation of quinines which are highly reactive and toxic to plant tissue (Titov et al, 2006). Apart from being an important group of secondary metabolites, phenolics may act as modulators of plant development by regulating indole acetic acid (IAA) catabolism (Ozyigit et al, 2007).
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