In vitro plant regeneration and jasmonic acid induced bioactive chemical accumulations in two Hypericum species from Turkey

Abstract

The aim of the study was to introduce two endangered species from Turkish flora, Hypericum aviculariifolium and H. pruinatum, into in vitro culture and to determine the elicitation effect of jasmonic acid (JA) on the accumulation of secondary metabolites in vitro regenerated flowering plants. A Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with plant growth regulators were used for seed germination and seedling culture. Seedling shoot explants in MS medium supplemented with combination of 1 mg/l BA and IAA resulted in maximum and simultaneous induction of roots and shoots. The regenerants of both species survived (98%) in greenhouse cultivation and were assayed for bioactive compounds. The content of secondary metabolites of flowering plants, originating from in vitro culture and treated with different doses of JA was higher than that of intact, i.e. maternal plants providing seeds and control plants. However, the intact and control plants did not differ significantly in the amounts of the bioactive compounds tested. The chemical profile of both species was similar with quantitative differences of individual compounds. Successful establishment of a highly efficient in vitro multiplication protocol in the present study offers a crucial in vitro strategy for the further conservation of endemic and rare species and enhanced production of valuable secondary metabolites.