Applications Of Plant Tissue Culture Research Articles

The impact of sucrose and 6-benzylaminopurine on shoot propagation and vitrification in Aroniamelanocarpa (black chokeberry)

Vitrification is one of the most significant issues encountered in plant tissue culture applications. It diminishes the quality of in vitro plants, causing their leaves and stems to appear watery and translucent, and it may impede the success of the acclimatization step. In this respect, this study investigates the impact of sucrose and 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) concentrations on shoot regeneration and vitrification development in Aronia melanocarpa, known for its high antioxidant content and health benefits. Initially, the presence of BAP, in combination with varying sucrose concentrations, leads to a substantial increase in shoot number, and the largest number (7 shoots per nodal explant) was observed in the Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 3% sucrose and 5.0 mg/L BAP. Furthermore, sucrose concentration plays a crucial role in shoot growth, with higher concentrations promoting more extensive shoot development. However, when 3% sucrose was combined with higher BAP (from 1.0- to 5.0 mg/L), an increased incidence of vitrification was observed over time. Interestingly, lower sucrose concentrations (1% or 2%) combined with 0.5 mg/L or 2.5 mg/L BAP initially delayed vitrification but eventually led to its occurrence. Microscopic analysis of leaf samples with varying levels of vitrification indicates significant differences in the density of stomata, further confirming the detrimental impact of vitrification on cellular structures and physiological processes. The recovery of vitrified plants was evaluated using different growth media combinations. The absence of BAP in the medium led to higher recovery percentages (min 96%) without necrosis, while the addition of 0.5 mg/L BAP promoted shoot growth but potentially inhibited root development. It has been found that media with 1 mg/L BAP and either 10 g/L or 20 g/L sucrose, as well as media with 30 g/L sucrose and 0.5 mg/L BAP, are the most suitable for efficient shoot regeneration with minimal vitrification risk. However, increasing BAP levels for faster shoot regeneration also raises the risk of vitrification. During acclimatization, vitrified plants exhibited stunted shoot growth, shorter and narrower leaves, reduced root numbers and lengths, and decreased survival rates, particularly under lower humidity conditions. The cultivation period required for the recovery of the crop was determined to be 6 weeks under greenhouse conditions for a sustainable plant propagation.

Production of secondary metabolites using tissue culture-based biotechnological applications.

Plants are the sources of many bioactive secondary metabolites which are present in plant organs including leaves, stems, roots, and flowers. Although they provide advantages to the plants in many cases, they are not necessary for metabolisms related to growth, development, and reproduction. They are specific to plant species and are precursor substances, which can be modified for generations of various compounds in different plant species. Secondary metabolites are used in many industries, including dye, food processing and cosmetic industries, and in agricultural control as well as being used as pharmaceutical raw materials by humans. For this reason, the demand is high; therefore, they are needed to be obtained in large volumes and the large productions can be achieved using biotechnological methods in addition to production, being done with classical methods. For this, plant biotechnology can be put in action through using different methods. The most important of these methods include tissue culture and gene transfer. The genetically modified plants are agriculturally more productive and are commercially more effective and are valuable tools for industrial and medical purposes as well as being the sources of many secondary metabolites of therapeutic importance. With plant tissue culture applications, which are also the first step in obtaining transgenic plants with having desirable characteristics, it is possible to produce specific secondary metabolites in large-scale through using whole plants or using specific tissues of these plants in laboratory conditions. Currently, many studies are going on this subject, and some of them receiving attention are found to be taken place in plant biotechnology and having promising applications. In this work, particularly benefits of secondary metabolites, and their productions through tissue culture-based biotechnological applications are discussed using literature with presence of current studies.

Application of Data Modeling, Instrument Engineering and Nanomaterials in Selected Medid the Scientific Recinal Plant Tissue Culture

At present, most precious compounds are still obtained by plant cultivation such as ginsenosides, glycyrrhizic acid, and paclitaxel, which cannot be easily obtained by artificial synthesis. Plant tissue culture technology is the most commonly used biotechnology tool, which can be used for a variety of studies such as the production of natural compounds, functional gene research, plant micropropagation, plant breeding, and crop improvement. Tissue culture material is a basic and important part of this issue. The formation of different plant tissues and natural products is affected by growth conditions and endogenous substances. The accumulation of secondary metabolites are affected by plant tissue type, culture method, and environmental stress. Multi-domain technologies are developing rapidly, and they have made outstanding contributions to the application of plant tissue culture. The modes of action have their own characteristics, covering the whole process of plant tissue from the induction, culture, and production of natural secondary metabolites. This paper reviews the induction mechanism of different plant tissues and the application of multi-domain technologies such as artificial intelligence, biosensors, bioreactors, multi-omics monitoring, and nanomaterials in plant tissue culture and the production of secondary metabolites. This will help to improve the tissue culture technology of medicinal plants and increase the availability and the yield of natural metabolites.

Use of biodegradable polyester-based microvessels for micropropagation of mature Eucalyptus microcorys

Background: Micropropagation, an in vitro vegetative propagation technique using small propagules is one of the main applications of plant tissue culture. It can be used to clone specific plants with desired traits and reduce the cost of plant propagation. In this study, we developed a protocol for micropropagation of Eucalyptus microcorys F.Muell using a selected mature tree, in which we tested various combinations of different culture media and evaluated the use of biodegradable polyester-based microvessels during the adventitious rooting and acclimatisation phases. Methods: Epicormic shoots were used as an explant source. After the in vitro explant establishment and multiplication, we tested 8 combinations of BAP, NAA and IBA in the elongation phase. Three types of microvessels were tested in the adventitious rooting phase and acclimatisation of the microcuttings. Results: Epicormic shoots had an establishment percentage of 40.6% and a total of 820 explants were generated by the 11th subculture, with an average of 12 buds per explant. Best shoot elongation results were achieved with BAP (0.05 mg L-1) + NAA (1 mg L-1) and BAP (0.05 mg L-1) + NAA (1 mg L-1) + IBA (1 mg L-1) combinations, whereas microvessel types M2 and M3 provided higher rooting and acclimatisation. According to the results of ISSR markers, at the end of 535 days of in vitro cultivation, cloning was successful between acclimatised micro-plantlets and the parent plant. Conclusions: The micropropagation protocol using microvessels was efficient in producing E. microcorys clonal micro-plantlets and is recommended for further studies with this species, and for testing in the micropropagation of other species.

Effect of photoperiod and KNO3 concentration on the induction and development of potato (Solanum tuberosum) microtuber in vitro

Abstract. Choirunnisa JP, Wardana R. 2021. Effect of photoperiod and KNO3 concentration on the induction and development of potato (Solanum tuberosum) microtuber in vitro. Cell Biol Dev 5: 70-75. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a carbohydrate source plant that was developed as an alternative to food diversification. The availability of quality potato seeds is very limited due to the high attack rate of bacteria and viruses. The demand for potato seeds can be fulfilled by developing potato microtuber through the application of plant tissue culture. The purpose of this research was to determine the response of potato microtuber formation with different photoperiods and KNO3 concentrations. This study design uses a factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 5 replicates. The first factor is 3 levels of photoperiod (8 hours/day, 12 hours/day, 16 hours/day). The second factor is 3 levels of KNO3 (1900 mg/L, 2850 mg/L, 3800 mg/L). The study was conducted by observing the age of microtubers initiation, number of shoots, number of roots, number of microtubers, the diameter of microtubers, and wet weight of microtubers were analyzed using SPSS. The results showed that the combination treatment of 8 hours/day photoperiod and KNO3 concentration of 3800 mg/L could accelerate the initiation of microtubers at 8 DAP (Days After Planting). The concentration of 3800 mg/L KNO3 can increase the number of roots and microtubers, the diameter of microtubers, and the wet weight of microtubers. The highest diameter of microtubers (17.89 mm) and the highest wet weight of microtubers (278.81 mg) were found in the photoperiod of 16 hours/day. This study concludes that the higher concentration of KNO3 and the longer photoperiod could be used for the induction and development of potato microtubers, while the short photoperiod could be used to accelerate microtubers initiation

Rosemary essential oil enhances culture establishment and inhibits contamination and enzymatic browning: Applications for in vitro propagation of Aloe vera L.

Aloe vera L. is used largely in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and agro-food industries. The in vitro technique was proposed as an alternative method for large-scale propagation and/or conservation breeding programmes in response to the increasing demand for Aloe vera. Unfortunately, a major problem in the application of plant tissue culture is the browning of cultured tissues and microbial contamination. This work investigates for the first time the efficacy of using Essential Oils (EOs) to control enzymatic browning and contamination of cultures from Aloe vera. Murashige and Skoog (MS) (1962) medium supplemented with 1 mg/L β-indole butyric acid (IBA) was used as a basic medium for A. vera for in vitro culture. The effect of the addition of charcoal (at 0.5 g/L), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) essential oils (at concentrations of 0.1 and 0.2%) to the basic medium was assessed. While thyme Essential Oil (EO) inhibited explant growth, rosemary EO induced the highest explant survival percentage, the lowest browning diffusion and contamination percentage. Moreover, a second experiment was conducted to determine the optimal rosemary EO concentration (0.025, 0.05, 0.075, and 0.1%). Explant survival percentage was 100% after four weeks of culture with rosemary EO concentrations of 0.05, 0.075, and 0.1% with no signs of browning. The lowest infection percentage (10%) was observed for media containing 0.075 and 0.1% of rosemary EO. The highest average number of leaves per explant was 3.71 with 0.1% rosemary EO and the greatest leaf length was 3.18 cm with 0.05%. The analytical techniques used to detect rosemary EO compounds were GC-FID (gas chromatography - flame ionization detection) and GC–MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). The main constituents found were 1,8-cineole (53.92%), α-pinene (15.86%), β-pinene (10.79%), and camphor (7.99%). Additionally, the antioxidant activity of the rosemary EO was determined by the DPPH (Free radical-scavenging activity) (24.66 µg mL−1) and FRAP (Ferric reducing antioxidant power) (35.16 mmol Fe2+L − 1) tests. The chemical composition together with the antioxidant effect and the most widely recognized anti-infectious properties of the used rosemary EO could explain its role in the inhibition of both enzymatic browning and microbial growth in culture media. These results could be a scope for further screening of EOs to be used for the improvement of in vitro culture of A. vera and other industrial crops.

Tissue culture applied to carnivorous species

The purpose of the review is to comment on available data on the application of plant tissue culture to carnivorous plants. Thus, the review encompassed publications from 1979 to 2017 along in vitro germination studies and micropropagation techniques, such as somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis, which emphasized the responses of plant materials to the stimuli offered during in vitro culture. Tissue culture in carnivorous plants is presented as a tool to promote the increase of the population of these plants either for scientific and commercial purposes or for the conservation and reintroduction in their natural habitat, in order to ensure a sustainable exploitation of this nutritional pattern of plants. In general terms, the studies carried out were limited to the following aspects: cultivation technique, explant source, exogenously applied substances and culture medium. The review also revealed the absence of defined protocols for in vitro multiplication of large-scale carnivorous plants.

OPTIMIZATION OF SHOOT INITIATION USING RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY AND CALLUS MEDIA STANDARDIZATION FOR MICROPROPAGATION OF CENTELLA ASIATICA

Centella asiatica, a medicinal herb consumed as a food supplement and used in traditional and folklore medicine is being overexploited for its therapeutic properties. Lack of adequate cultivation and replacement practices could engender the depletion of the wild variety. Application of plant tissue culture has helped in the regeneration and preservation of several plants in-vitro. The present study reports media standardization for micropropagation and callus induction for the conservation of Centella asiatica using field-grown plants. In media standardization for callus induction, appreciable results were obtained where full strength MS (Murashige and Skoog) media was supplemented with 2 mg.L-1 IAA (Indole acetic acid) and a combination of 0.5 mg.L-1 Kn (Kinetin) with 1 mg.L-1 IAA while MS media supplemented with a combination of 0.5 mg.L-1 Kn and 1.5 mg.L-1 IAA was used for callus proliferation. Combination of BAP (6- Benzyl amino purine) and IAA from preliminary experimentation on micropropagation showed high shooting frequency and were further optimized with parameters such as sucrose and incubation period using Response surface methodology (RSM) to study their individual and interactive effects. A maximum shoot height of 3.8 cm was obtained from the optimized values after 13 days with both BAP and IAA at 0.5 mg.L-1 and sucrose at 6% with the R2 value at 0.73.

Review on Application of Plant Tissue Culture in Plant Breeding

Plant breeders employ a variety of techniques to improve the genetic composition of crops and a successful strategy is dependent on the physical, physiological and hereditary characteristics of the plant. Plant tissue culture is one of the method used in plant breeding used in disease free plant development, genetic transformation, Somatic embryogenesis, embryo rescue, and anther and ovule culture for post fertilizer barrier and polyploidy induction. It play great role in plant/crop improvement as it involves in variation creation, conservation of germplasm and shorten the breeding cycle by developing homozygous parents with single a generation. So, the review is designed to assess application of tissue culture in improvement of field crop, ornamental, forest tree or plants as whole for human benefits. Keywords: plant , tissue culture, breeding DOI : 10.7176/JNSR/9-3-03

Analysis of bioactive pigments in coloured callus of Azadirachta indica for possible use as functional natural colourants

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the content of bioactive pigments in coloured callus of Azadirachta indica and to understand the correlation between the callus colours with their bioactive constituents, antioxidant properties and cytotoxicity. These assessments will yield valuable insight into the use of in vitro-derived pigments for possible use as functional natural colourants.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the authors have successfully developed a protocol to produce leaf-derived callus of various colours with enhanced content of bioactive pigments in A. indica through plant tissue culture. Comparative analysis of the pigments content (chlorophyll, carotenoid, phenolics and anthocyanins) in the coloured callus was conducted, followed by evaluation of its bioactive properties. The antioxidant properties against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radicals, ferric reducing antioxidant power and cytotox activities of the coloured callus extracts were also reported.FindingsCallus of various colours were successfully produced in A. indica through plant tissue culture, and their valuable pigment content and bioactivity were evaluated. The green callus contained the highest amount of anthocyanin, followed by brown and cream callus. The total anthocyanin contents in both the green and brown callus was more than two-fold higher than that in cream callus. Contrasting observation was obtained for total phenolic content (TPC), where the TPC of cream callus was significantly higher than that in brown callus. Nevertheless, the green callus also exhibited the highest TPC. Green callus also contained the highest amount of total chlorophyll and carotenoid, as well as exhibited the highest antioxidant potential, and was found to be the only extract with active cytotox activity against SKOV-3 cells. Correlation analysis revealed that the excellent bioactivity exhibited by the coloured extracts was strongly correlated with the bioactive pigments present in the callus.Research limitations/implicationsThe major bioactive compounds identified in the methanolic extracts of A. indica coloured callus are anthocyanins, phenolics, chlorophylls and carotenoids. Future research work should include improvements in the extraction and identification methods, which may lead to detection and determination of other compounds that could attribute to its bioactivity, to complement the findings of the current study.Practical implicationsThis analysis provides valuable information on the application of plant tissue culture as an alternative source for sustainable production of major pigments with medicinal benefits in A. indica for possible use as functional natural colourants.Originality/valueA comparative study on bioactive pigment production in coloured callus from A. indica leaves and its antioxidant potential and cytotoxicity is original. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report detailing a comparative evaluation on the production of coloured callus in A. indica and its relative biochemical composition and bioactive properties.

The Use of Proteomic Tools to Address Challenges Faced in Clonal Propagation of Tropical Crops through Somatic Embryogenesis.

In many tropical countries with agriculture as the mainstay of the economy, tropical crops are commonly cultivated at the plantation scale. The successful establishment of crop plantations depends on the availability of a large quantity of elite seedling plants. Many plantation companies establish plant tissue culture laboratories to supply planting materials for their plantations and one of the most common applications of plant tissue culture is the mass propagation of true-to-type elite seedlings. However, problems encountered in tissue culture technology prevent its applications being widely adopted. Proteomics can be a powerful tool for use in the analysis of cultures, and to understand the biological processes that takes place at the cellular and molecular levels in order to address these problems. This mini review presents the tissue culture technologies commonly used in the propagation of tropical crops. It provides an outline of some the genes and proteins isolated that are associated with somatic embryogenesis and the use of proteomic technology in analysing tissue culture samples and processes in tropical crops.

An Introduction to Plant Tissue Culture: Advances and Perspectives.

Plant tissue culture techniques are the most frequently used biotechnological tools for basic and applied purposes ranging from investigation on plant developmental processes, functional gene studies, commercial plant micropropagation, generation of transgenic plants with specific industrial and agronomical traits, plant breeding and crop improvement, virus elimination from infected materials to render high-quality healthy plant material, preservation and conservation of germplasm of vegetative propagated plant crops, and rescue of threatened or endangered plant species. Additionally, plant cell and organ cultures are of interest for the production of secondary metabolites of industrial and pharmaceutical interest. New technologies, such as the genome editing ones combined with tissue culture and Agrobacterium tumefaciens infection, are currently promising alternatives for the highly specific genetic manipulation of interesting agronomical or industrial traits in crop plants. Application of omics (genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics) to plant tissue culture will certainly help to unravel complex developmental processes such as organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis, which will probably enable to improve the efficiency of regeneration protocols for recalcitrant species. Additionally, metabolomics applied to tissue culture will facilitate the extraction and characterization of complex mixtures of natural plant products of industrial interest. General and specific aspects and applications of plant tissue culture and the advances and perspectives are described in this edition.

[Application of plant tissue culture in field of Chinese medicine resources].

Plant tissue culture technology has been widely used in the field of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) resources with its unique advantages, playing an important role in the protection of TCM resources. In this review, some applications of plant tissue culture were summarized, including production of active compounds by using plant tissue culture, genetic diversity analysis, Dao-di herbs, elicitor application, biosynthesis and transgenic plants. Through the above researches will promote the further development of plant tissue culture technology, making it play a greater role in the field of TCM resources.

Production of biopesticide azadirachtin using plant cell and hairy root cultures.

The extensive use of nondegradable chemical pesticides for pest management has developed serious environmental hazards. This has necessitated the urgent need to switch over to an alternative mode of biopesticide development for mass agriculture and field crop protection. Azadirachta indica A. Juss (commonly known as neem) houses a plethora of bioactive secondary metabolites with azadirachtin being the most active constituent explored in the sector of ecofriendly and biodegradable biopesticides characterized by low toxicity toward nontarget organisms. It has been reported that the highest content of azadirachtin and related limonoids is present in the seeds, available once in a year. Moreover, the inconsistent content and purity of the metabolites in whole plant makes it imperative to tap the potential of in vitro plant tissue culture applications, which would allow for several controlled manipulations for better yield and productivities. This review gives a summarized literature of the applied research and achievements in plant cell/hairy cultures of A. indica A. Juss mainly in context with the biopesticide azadirachtin and applications thereof.

Gum-Mediated Fabrication of Eco-Friendly Gold Nanoparticles Promoting Cell Division and Pollen Germination in Plant Cells

In this study we reported a simple approach for the green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using the Terminalia arjuna gum extract as a source of reducing and stabilizing compounds. The fabrication of AuNPs was confirmed by UV–Vis spectroscopy, XRD and TEM. UV–Vis spectrum clearly showed the absorption peak at 520 nm, which is due to the surface Plasmon resonance on AuNPs. XRD analysis highlighted the crystalline nature of AuNPs, with face-centered cubic structure. TEM showed that spherical shape of nanoparticles, with average particles size of 10–20 nm. AuNPs did not show any inhibitory activity both on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, different doses of AuNPs (0, 100, 500 and 1000 µM) were tested to assess their potential impact on mitotic division and pollen germination. A treatment with 100 µM of AuNPs significantly induced both mitotic division and pollen germination. In the plant cells, the passive uptake of AuNPs through cytosol allowed them to move towards the nuclear pore complex. Subsequently, they interacted with histone protein leading to mitotic cell division and pollen germination. Overall, our study highlighted the potential of gum-fabricated AuNPs in cytogenetic, gene expression and plant tissue culture applications.

Characterization of Physical, Thermal and Spectral Properties of Biofield Treated Date Palm Callus Initiation Medium

The date palm is mainly cultivated for the production of sweet fruit. Date palm callus initiation medium (DPCIM) is used for plant tissue culture applications. The present work is intended to evaluate the impact of Mr. Trivedi’s biofield energy treatment on physical, thermal and spectral properties of the DPCIM. The control and treated DPCIM were evaluated by various analytical techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, particle size analyzer (PSA), surface area analyzer and ultra violet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) analysis. The XRD analysis revealed a decrease in intensity of XRD peaks of the treated sample as compared to the control. The crystallite size of the treated DPCIM (81.02 nm) was decreased with respect to the control sample (84.99 nm). The DSC analysis showed a slight decrease in melting temperature of the treated sample. Additionally, the latent heat of fusion of treated sample was changed by 45.66% as compared to the control sample. The TGA analysis showed an increase in onset degradation temperature of the treated sample (182oC) as compared to the control sample (142oC). This indicated the increase in thermal stability of the treated DPCIM. PSA results demonstrated an increase in average particle size (d50) and size showed by 99% of particles (d99) by 19.2 and 40.4%, respectively as compared to the control sample. The surface area analyzer showed a decrease in surface area of treated DPCIM by 13.4%, which was well supported by the particle size results. UV spectra of the treated sample showed the disappearance of absorption peak 261 nm in treated sample as compared to the control. Overall, the result showed that biofield energy treatment has a paramount influence on physical, thermal and spectral properties of DPCIM. Therefore, it is assumed that biofield treated DPCIM could be used as a better medium for plant tissue culture applications.

In vitro growth of Brassocattleya orchid hybrid in different concentrations of KNO3, NH4NO3 and benzylaminopurine

One of the most important applications of plant tissue culture is mass propagation of ornamental plants. This experiment evaluated the effect of different concentrations of NH4NO3 and KNO3 and BAP on the in vitro growth of orchid hybrid Brassocattleya 'Pastoral'. Seedlings of this orchid hybrid were used as explants and cultivated in medium with mineral salts and vitamins from the MS medium (Murashige & Skoog, 1962), with the macronutrients P, Ca and Mg reduced by half, and with an addition of 25 g L-1 of sucrose, 0.1 g L-1 of myo-inositol and 1.5 g L-1 of activated charcoal. Agar-agar was added (6.5 g L-1) and the pH was adjusted to 5.8. As treatments, four concentrations of the NH4NO3 and KNO3 (2x; 1x; ½ and ¼ MS medium) and three concentrations of BAP (0.0; 0.5 and 1.0 mg L-1) were assayed. The multiplication, growth in height, fresh and dry weight and sugar level in dry weight of sprouts were evaluated. There occurred a higher growth in height with 0.25x NH4NO3 and KNO3 salts concentrations of MS medium and higher rate of multiplication with combination of NH4NO3 and KNO3 reduced by half of the MS medium concentration and 1.0 mg L-1 BAP.

Plant tissue culture: Current status, opportunities and challenges

R. Garcia-Gonzales, K. Quiroz, B. Carrasco, and P.D.S. Caligari. 2010. Plant tissue culture: Current status, opportunities and challenges. Cien. Inv. Agr. 37(3): 5-30. In the last two decades plant biotechnology applications have been widely developed and incorporated into the agricultural systems of many countries worldwide. Tissue culture tools have been a key factor to support such outcomes. Current results have allowed plant biotechnology and its products –including transgenic plants with several traits- to be the most assimilated technology for farmers and companies, representing several benefits such as: 125 millions ha of transgenic crops in 2008, the reduction of pesticides application by up to 9% in the last ten years, transgenic plants with a better nutritional quality, mass propagation of selected and healthy plants, and the production of proteins for industrial or therapeutic use. The rapid and extensive assimilation for this technology has improved the competences of the agricultural systems both in industrial and in developing countries, based on the proper application of research programs. Several theoretical and practical aspects supporting plant tissue culture applications, as well as the main results and current status of the technology are discussed in this review. The reader will find key elements to evaluate the potential of plant tissue culture tools for the development of agriculture, livestock, human health and nutrition, and human well being in general.

Tissue culture as a plant production technique for horticultural crops

Over 100 years ago, Haberlandt envisioned the concept of plant tissue culture and provided the groundwork for the cultivation of plant cells, tissues and organs in culture. Initially plant tissue cultures arose as a research tool and focused on attempts to culture and study the development of small, isolated cells and segments of plant tissues. At the peak of the plant tissue culture era in the 1980s, in a relatively short time, many commercial laboratories were established around the world to capitalize on the potential of micropropagation for mass production of clonal plants for the horticulture industry. Today plant tissue culture applications encompass much more than clonal propagation. The range of routine technologies has expanded to include somatic embryogenesis, somatic hybridization, virus elimination as well as the application of bioreactors to mass propagation. Perhaps the greatest value of these tissue culture technologies lies not so much in their application to mass clonal propagation but rather in their role underpinning developments and applications in plant improvement, molecular biology and bioprocessing, as well as being a basic research tool. Plant tissue culture technique though an underutilized tool in Nigeria, it can be extensively applied in horticulture to increase crop production. This paper highlights some of the applications of plant tissue culture to horticulture, the achievements and limitations of tissue culture and some insights into current and possible future developments. With rapid population growth, the total acreages of fruits, vegetables and various ornamental plants have not been able to meet the needs of people in the developing countries.   Key words: Bioprocessing, clone, micropropagation, somatic embryogenesis, tissue culture.

Tissue culture as a plant production technique for horticultural crops

Over 100 years ago, Haberlandt envisioned the concept of plant tissue culture and provided the groundwork for the cultivation of plant cells, tissues and organs in culture. Initially plant tissue cultures arose as a research tool and focused on attempts to culture and study the development of small, isolated cells and segments of plant tissues. At the peak of the plant tissue culture era in the 1980s, in a relatively short time, many commercial laboratories were established around the world to capitalize on the potential of micropropagation for mass production of clonal plants for the horticulture industry. Today plant tissue culture applications encompass much more than clonal propagation. The range of routine technologies has expanded to include somatic embryogenesis, somatic hybridization, virus elimination as well as the application of bioreactors to mass propagation. Perhaps the greatest value of these tissue culture technologies lies not so much in their application to mass clonal propagation but rather in their role underpinning developments and applications in plant improvement, molecular biology and bioprocessing, as well as being a basic research tool. Plant tissue culture technique though an underutilized tool in Nigeria, it can be extensively applied in horticulture to increase crop production. This paper highlights some of the applications of plant tissue culture to horticulture, the achievements and limitations of tissue culture and some insights into current and possible future developments. With rapid population growth, the total acreages of fruits, vegetables and various ornamental plants have not been able to meet the needs of people in the developing countries.