Application of tissue culture technology of medicinal plants in sustainable development of Chinese medicinal resources / 中国中药杂志

Chinese medicinal resources are the cornerstone of the sustainable development of traditional Chinese medicine industry. However, due to the fecundity of species, over-exploitation, and limitations of artificial cultivation, some medicinal plants are depleted and even endangered. Tissue culture, a breakthrough technology in the breeding of traditional Chinese medicinal materials, is not limited by time and space, and can allow the production on an annual basis, which plays an important role in the protection of Chinese medicinal resources. The present study reviewed the applications of tissue culture of medicinal plants in the field of Chinese medicinal resources, including rapid propagation of medicinal plant seedlings, breeding of novel high-yield and high-quality cultivars, construction of a genetic transformation system, and production of secondary metabolites. Meanwhile, the current challenges and suggestions for the future development of this field were also proposed.

In vitro germination and propagation of a threatened medicinal orchid, Cymbidium aloifolium (L.) Sw. through artificial seed

Objective: To study the in vitro germination and plantlet regeneration from artificial seeds of Cymbidium aloifolium (C. aloifolium), a highly threatened medicinal orchid of Nepal. Methods: Artificial seeds were produced in vitro by encapsulation of protocorms with 4% sodium alginate and 0.2 mol/L calcium chloride solution. In vitro germination and plantlet regeneration of the artificial seeds were tested by culturing them on different strength of Murashige and Skoog (MS) liquid media (0.25, 0.5 and 1.0) and MS liquid medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L benzyl amino purine and 0.5 mg/L naphthalene acetic acid. Freshly produced artificial seeds were stored up to 28 d at 4°C. In order to check the viability, storage artificial seeds were treated with five different sterilization techniques (T

In vitro germination and propagation of a threatened medicinal orchid, Cymbidium aloifolium (L.) Sw. through artificial seed

To study the in vitro germination and plantlet regeneration from artificial seeds of Cymbidium aloifolium (C. aloifolium), a highly threatened medicinal orchid of Nepal. Methods: Artificial seeds were produced in vitro by encapsulation of protocorms with 4%sodium alginate and 0.2 mol/L calcium chloride solution. In vitro germination and plantlet regeneration of the artificial seeds were tested by culturing them on different strength of Murashige and Skoog (MS) liquid media (0.25, 0.5 and 1.0) and MS liquid medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L benzyl amino purine and 0.5 mg/L naphthalene acetic acid. Freshly produced artificial seeds were stored up to 28 d at 4 oC. In order to check the viability, storage artificial seeds were treated with five different sterilization techniques (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5) and inoculated on full strength (1.0) of MS liquid medium after each 7 d of interval upto 28th days. Results: The highest percentage of germination (100%) of artificial seed was obtained on quarter (0.25), half (0.5) and full (1.0) strength of MS liquid medium. Experimentally, full strength of MS liquid medium was more effective for earlier seedling development of C. aloifolium. Artificial seeds were successfully stored at 4 oC till 28th days. Treatments T1 and T2 showed 97.5% viability of storage artificial seeds and hence considered as the most effective sterilization techniques to recover the plant from storage artificial seeds. Plantlets developed from artificial seeds were successfully acclimatized in potting mixture containing cocopeat, litter and sphagnum moss with 85% survival rate. Conclusions: The present study revealed that artificial seeds are the good alternative explants for in vitro mass propagation and short term conservation of C. aloifolium.