In vitro regenerating plantlets in Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb. as a model system to study the development of lower epidermal papillae

Abstract

Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb. has been identified as a rich source of principal basmati aroma compound 2 acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP). An easy and efficient protocol for clonal propagation of P. amaryllifolius Roxb. using lateral buds as an explant has been developed and the in vitro-raised seedlings were used to study the lower epidermal papillae development. The principal aroma compound 2AP along with other aroma compounds are stored in the lower epidermis papillae of leaf. The developmental pattern of these papillae was traced out using scanning electron microscopy. It was observed that stomata act as the site of initiation for development of the papillae followed by their lateral spread across the epidermal cells. During development, the first papillae bulged out as a protrusion of the lower epidermis that further metamorphosed into well-grown papillae. These developments are well-correlated with 2AP contents, in which the in vitro-raised seedlings had less 2AP contents (66.99 ppb) than the mother plant (96.88 ppb).