In vitro culture and rapid propagation of Ilex asprella

Abstract

Ilex asprella is usually used as the main material for a variety of traditional Chinese medicines and herbal tea. With the destructive excavation of the roots of I. asprella, its wild resources have been drastically reduced and is not available in quantity to meet the current market demand. In order to meet the needs of Chinese medicine market and environmental protection, it is necessary to develop a suitable and rapid micro-propagation technology. In this study, we have established an effective in vitro tissue culture protocol for mass production of I. asprella seedlings. Stems were used as explants and 0.1% mercuric chloride solution treating the explants for 7 min was the best disinfecting method. The optimum medium for induction and proliferation of adventitious buds was developed with modified MS medium with 2.0 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA), 0.1 mg/L 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 0.5 mg/L adenine sulfate (AD). The modified ½ MS medium with 0.5 mg/L NAA, 0.5 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 0.5 mg/L activated carbon was suitable for rooting. The method established in this study provides the basis for large-scale propagation I. asprella seedlings to meet the market demand of traditional Chinese medicine.