A First Approach for the Micropropagation of the Edible and Medicinal Halophyte Inula crithmoides L.

Inula crithmoides L. (golden samphire) is an edible aromatic halophyte species with confirmed nutritional and medicinal properties attributed to the presence of important metabolites, including proteins, carotenoids, vitamins, and minerals. Therefore, this study aimed at establishing a micropropagation protocol for golden samphire that can serve as a nursery approach to its standardized commercial cultivation. For that purpose, a complete regeneration protocol was developed by improving shoot multiplication from nodal explants, rooting, and acclimatization methodologies. The treatment with BAP alone induced the maximum shoot formation (7-7.8 shoots/explant), while IAA treatment increased the shoot height (9.26-9.5 cm). Furthermore, the treatment that coupled best shoot multiplication (7.8 shoots/explant) and highest shoot height (7.58 cm) was MS medium supplemented with 0.25 mg/L BAP. Moreover, all shoots produced roots (100% rooting), and multiplication treatments did not exert significant effect on root length (7.8-9.7 cm/plantlet). Moreover, by the end of the rooting phase, plantlets cultivated with 0.25 mg/L BAP had the highest shoot number (4.2 shoots/plantlet), and plantlets from 0.6 mg/L IAA + 1 mg/L BAP presented the highest shoot height (14.2 cm) similar to control plantlets (14.0 cm). The survival up to the ex-vitro acclimatization stage was increased from 9.8% (control) to 83.3%, when plants were treated with a paraffin solution. Nevertheless, the in vitro multiplication of golden samphire is a promising way for its rapid propagation and can be used as a nursery method, contributing to the development of this species as an alternative food and medicinal crop.