title: Xanthan gum: an economical substitute for agar in plant tissue culture media.
abstract: Xanthan gum, a microbial desiccation-resistant polysaccharide prepared commercially by aerobic submerged fermentation from Xanthomonas campestris, has been successfully used as a solidifying agent for plant tissue culture media. Its suitability as a substitute to agar was demonstrated for in vitro seed germination, caulogenesis and rhizogenesis of Albizzia lebbeck, androgenesis in anther cultures of Datura innoxia, and somatic embryogenesis in callus cultures of Calliandra tweedii. Culture media used for eliciting these morphogenic responses were gelled with either 1% xanthan gum or 0.9% agar. Xanthan gum, like agar, supported all these responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi 7, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Babbar
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar / Q000737:chemistry / Q000191:economics; D031289:Albizzia / Q000254:growth & development; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D032302:Datura / Q000254:growth & development; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000254:growth & development; D018525:Germination / Q000502:physiology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000191:economics*; D012639:Seeds / Q000378:metabolism; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D000362:Agar; C002563:xanthan gum