MICROPROPAGATION OF FERULA ASSA-FOETIDA L. (A MEDICINAL PLANT) VIA DIRECT SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS

Abstract

Ferula assa-foetida is a medicinal plant from the Apiaceae family. It is a monocarpic plant and only flowers once during its growth period and then it dries forever and that is one of the main problems of multiplication. The experiment was carried out to examine the effect of explants, medium and plant growth regulators, on the in vitro direct somatic embryogenesis of asafetida (Ferula assa-foetida). Explants of root, hypocotyl and cotyledon (leaf) were investigated on MS and B5 medium combined with 2,4-D (0.2, 0.5 or 1 mg/L), BAP (0.2, 0.5 or 1 mg/L) and NAA (0.2, 0.5 or 1 mg/L), each of them was combined with kin (0, 0.2, 0.5 or 1 mg/L). The best direct somatic embryogenesis was obtained from explants of leaves, no significant effect between explants of cotyledon and hypocotyls was found. 2,4-D (0.2 mg/L) + kin (0.2 mg/L) resulted in the highest percent of direct somatic embryogenesis, also the maximum indirect somatic embryogenesis was obtained from explants of root grown on the 2,4-D (0.5 mg/L) + kin (0.2 mg/L). The highest value for direct somatic embryogenesis was found in MS medium combined with 2,4-D (0.2 mg/L) + kin (0.2 mg/L), while the maximum of indirect somatic embryogenesis was observed in B5 medium enriched with 2,4-D (0.5 mg/L) + kin (0.2 mg/L). The maximum percentage of embryo conversion into seedling was found with 2,4-D (0.5 mg/L) + kin (0.2 mg/L) in B5. Highest percent of callogenesis was observed on B5 containing NAA (1 mg/L) + kin (1 mg/L), BAP (0.2 mg/L) + kin (0.5 mg/L) and BAP (0.5 mg/L) + kin (0.5 mg/L).