Micropropagation of Cleome dendroides (Cleomaceae), an endemic Brazilian species, as a source of glucosinolates

Abstract

This is the first study related to micropropagation and phytochemical analyses of Cleome dendroides, an endemic species of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, a biome affected by human activity. Among the classes of substances produced by the genus Cleome, the glucosinolates are used as chemotaxonomic markers. They have a wide structural diversity, which affords, for example, antineoplastic bioactivity. The micropropagation was established using explants from two sources: seedlings and in vitro plants. The morphogenic response was evaluated on Murashige-Skoog (MS) medium with different concentrations of benzyladenine (BA). Hypocotyl explants from seedlings and stem explants from in vitro plants showed higher capacity of shoot regeneration (56.3-100%). Shoot proliferation (75-100%) was maintained when hypocotyl explant-derived shoots and stem explant-derived shoots were subcultured three times a month. Hypocotyl explant-derived shoots maintained on MS + 2.0 mgL−1 BA induced the highest shoot production along the subcultures. Shoots were elongated and rooted on growth regulator-free MS medium. Plantlet establishment was successful in the hardening medium composed of Plantmax® substrate, reaching 85%survival. The phytochemical studies indicated two glucosinolate derivatives, highlighting the presence of 5,6-dimethyltetrahydro-1,3-oxazine-2-thione, identified for the first time in plants. This work demonstrates an efficient method for in-vitro production of C. dendroides plants, which can be used as a source of glucosinolates.