title: Enhanced in vitro regeneration and change in photosynthetic pigments, biomass and proline content in Withania somnifera L. (Dunal) induced by copper and zinc ions.
abstract: In the present study the effect of inorganic nutrients (CuSO₄ & ZnSO₄) on morphogenic and biochemical responses from nodal explants in Withania somnifera L. was investigated. Incorporation of either Copper sulphate (25-200 μM) or Zinc sulphate (50-500 μM) in the optimized Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium highly influenced the shoot bud formation and subsequent elongation, which induced maximum percentage (95%) regeneration, number (61.7 ± 0.25) of shoots with shoot length (5.46 ± 0.16 cm) on CuSO₄ (100 μM) and maximum percentage regeneration (100%), number of shoots (66.1 ± 0.96) with shoot length (6.24 ± 0.21 cm) on ZnSO₄ (300 μM) after 12 weeks of culture. Healthy growing in vitro microshoots rooted efficiently on ½ MS medium supplemented with NAA (0.5 μM), which induced (16.2 ± 0.12) roots with root length (3.30 ± 0.12 cm) after 4 weeks. Pigment content increased with increasing concentration of Cu and Zn and the maximum Chl. a (0.47), (0.41); Chl. b (0.52), (0.42); total Chl. (0.99), (0.83) and Carotenoid (0.16), (0.16) mg/g FW contents in regenerants were found on CuSO₄ (100 μM) and ZnSO₄ (300 μM), respectively. Maximum proline content (0.17), (0.16) μg/g FW was observed on high concentrations of CuSO₄ (200 μM) and ZnSO₄ (500 μM) respectively, in the basal medium. Regenerated plantlets were acclimatized successfully in soilrite with a survival rate of 95%. No morphological variations were detected among the micropropagated plants when compared with seedling raised plants of the same age.
authors.affiliation: Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India.
authors.forename: Nigar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fatima
authors.forename: Naseem
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anis
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization; D018533:Biomass; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000378:metabolism; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism*; D019327:Copper Sulfate / Q000378:metabolism; D004777:Environment; D007477:Ions / Q000378:metabolism; D018519:Meristem / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010788:Photosynthesis; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism*; D012987:Soil; D032341:Withania / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*; D019287:Zinc Sulfate / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007477:Ions; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D012987:Soil; D002734:Chlorophyll; D002338:Carotenoids; C037184:chlorophyll b; D019287:Zinc Sulfate; D003300:Copper; D011392:Proline; D015032:Zinc; D019327:Copper Sulfate; D000077194:Chlorophyll A