Document Type : Research paper
Authors
1 Department of horticultural science, faculty of agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan- Iran
2 University of Zanjan, Medicinal, Spice and Aromatic Plants
3 Department of Horticultural Sciences University of Zanjan
Abstract
Catharanthus roseus L. is a valuable medicinal plant renowned for its production of potent anticancer compounds vincristine and vinblastine. Efficient mass production of this plant is challenging due to limitations in conventional propagation methods. Tissue culture techniques offer a promising alternative, and the optimization of plant growth regulator (PGR) treatments plays a crucial role in achieving successful in vitro propagation. In this study, we investigated the effects of various PGR combinations: NAA, BAP, and 2,4-D on the morpho- phytochemical attributes and antioxidant activity of in vitro-grown Catharanthus roseus L. var. ocellata plants with a complete randomized design with multiple replicates. The results demonstrated that the application of PGRs, either alone or in combination, significantly improved the morphological characteristics. Notably, the treatment with 2,4-D resulted in the highest content of photosynthetic pigments compared to the control. Moreover, the treatments with NAA + BAP and NAA + BAP + 2,4-D exhibited the highest levels of total phenolic compounds (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) in both roots and leaves. In terms of antioxidant activity, the DPPH radical scavenging assay revealed the highest radical scavenging percentages of 74.21% (NAA + 2,4-D) for leaves and 78.08% (NAA + 2,4-D) for roots. These findings emphasize the potential of PGRs to optimize tissue culture protocols for Catharanthus roseus L., leading to the production of superior-quality plants with enriched medicinal properties. This study contributes to the advancement of sustainable and efficient cultivation of bioactive compounds from Catharanthus roseus L. using tissue culture techniques.
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