Summary
Micropropagation is a technique to ensure a constant and uniform source of medicinal plants. In this report, we describe the micropropagation of Lepidium virginicum L. (Brassicaceae), a wild plant used as an antiamoebic in traditional Mexican medicine. In vitro-germinated seeds were cultured in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium to obtain pathogen-free cotyledons, hypocotyls, and apical bud (AB) explants. For induction of morphogenesis, the effect of cytokinins, benzyladenine (BA) and kinetin (KN), combined with auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) was evaluated. The best rate of shoot proliferation was induced 15 d after culture on MS mineral medium supplemented with IAA∶KN (0.57∶13.94 μM) from AB explants. Maximum shoot elongation was achieved without plant growth regulators. The effect of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) (14.76 μM) was evaluated for in vitro root induction; 60 d after culture all the shoots had developed roots. All rooted plants were successfully transferred to pots and 100% acclimatized in ex vitro conditions. The methanol extracts from the micropropagated active explants of L. virginicum showed and IC50 antiprotozoal value between 141.90 and 268.53 μg ml−1.
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Osuna, L., Tapia-Pérez, M.E., Figueroa, O. et al. Micropropagation of Lepidium virginicum (Brassicaceae), a plant with antiprotozoal activity. In Vitro Cell.Dev.Biol.-Plant 42, 596–600 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1079/IVP2006826
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1079/IVP2006826