Optimization of Surface Sterilization Process of Selected Dye-Yielding Plants for Isolation of Bacterial Endophytes

Abstract

Sterilizing agents, such as sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), mercuric chloride (HgCl2), and ethanol (C2H5OH), are commonly used in plant tissue culture laboratory. The following studies were performed to estimate the effect of sterilizing agents and explants were tested for sterilization by altering concentration and time of exposure of sterilizing agents. Time duration for treatments and concentration of sterilizing agents were considered as influencing parameters. The contamination and survival percentage methods were statistically analyzed for evaluating optimum conditions for the surface sterilization of explants (root, stem, and leaf). The results revealed that as time of exposure and concentrations of sterilizing raised, the contaminations of explants declined and the combination of sterilizing agents that were mercuric chloride (0.1% for 5–10 min) and ethanol (70% for 6–8 min) showed the best result which exhibited its sterilization efficiency.