Propagation of Costus speciosus (Koen.) Sm. through in vitro rhizome production

Rhizomes developed in vitro on shoots of Costus speciosus (Koen.) Sm. which were initiated from zygotic embryos. The effect of different hormonal and nutritional additions to Schenk and Hildebrandt' s (SH) basal nutrient medium on rhizome development was studied. Rhizomes developed on SH basal salts but formed with increased frequency on medium supplemented with adenine sulfate, casamino acids (CA) and various combinations of cytokinins and auxins. Incubation in light was necessary for rhizome formation. Isolated basal as well as nodal (aerial) rhizomes formed and produced new shoots. In basal medium without any growth additives (control) the average number of shoots produced per inoculum was 3.3 ±0.73 whereas in the best suited medium i.e. supplemented with 250 mg l^–1 CA the number of shoots obtained was 22.7±1.92. There was no dormancy period for rhizomes under the cultural conditions investigated. Rhizome-sprouts were easily transplanted from the in vitro conditions to the field. More than five hundred propagules (i.e. sprouted-rhizomes) were obtained within 5 months and it has been estimated that more than 2.4 × 10⁵ propagules could be achieved per year through four subsequent in vitro rhizomes-generation cycles. Thus, a rapid method of propagation has been established.Abbreviations AdS Adenine sulphate - BA benzyladenine - CA casamino acids (vitamin free) - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - IAA indoleacetic acid - IBA indolebutyric acid - Kn Kinetin - NAA naphthaleneacetic acid - SH Schenk and Hildebrandt's medium (1972)     

Embryo culture of Costus speciosus (Koen.) Sm. to regenerate variable diosgenin yielding clones

Mature embryos of Costus speciosus were excised and cultured on Schenk and Hildebrandt's (1972) nutrient medium containing auxins and cytokinins either alone or in combination. Multiple shoots were obtained when kinetin and indole-3-butyric acid were supplemented each at 0.1 mg 1^–1 concentration. Embryo-derived plantlets were multiplied through propagation of rhizomes and the propagules derived from a single embryo were designated as an embryoclone. Twenty such embryo-clones were maintained in the field. Variations in rhizome biomass yield and diosgenin contents of these embryoclones were noted. Thirty-six percent of the embryo-clones studied were high diosgenin yielding types. Diosgenin contents at the intraclonal level were uniform. The in vitro raised plants were morphologically uniform and indistinguishable from their parent.Abbreviations SH Schenk and Hildebrandt (1972) medium - Kn kinetin - BAP 6-benzylaminopurine - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - NAA 1-naphthaleneacetic acid - IBA indole-3-butyric acid - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - CA casaminoacids (vitamin free) - TLC thin layer chromatography     

Antioxidant activity of costunolide and eremanthin isolated from Costus speciosus (Koen ex. Retz) Sm.

Antioxidant properties of many medicinal plants have been widely recognized and some of them have been commercially exploited. Plant derived antioxidants play a very important role in alleviating problems related to oxidative stress. The present study was aimed at assessing the antioxidant property of costunolide and eremanthin isolated from a medicinal plant Costus speciosus (Koen ex. Retz) Sm. rhizome. Experimental diabetes was induced by a single dose of STZ (60 mg/kg, i.p.) injection. The oxidative stress was measured by tissue thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), reduced glutathione (GSH) content and enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in brain, liver, heart, kidney and pancreas. An increase in TBARS level, a significant reduction in GSH content along with decreased enzymatic activities of SOD, CAT, and GPx were seen in untreated diabetic rats. Administration of either costunolide (20 mg/kg day) or eremanthin (20 mg/kg day) for 60 days caused a significant reduction in TBARS level and a significant increase in GSH content along with increased enzymatic activities of SOD, CAT and GPx in the treated rats when compared to untreated diabetic rats. Acute toxicity test revealed the non-toxic nature of the compounds. The results indicated for the first time the protective effect of costunolide and eremanthin from oxidative stress, thus opening the way for their use in medication.     

Influence of Soil Variation on Diosgenin Content Profile in Costus speciosus from Indo-Gangetic Plains

Costus speciosus is a rich source of commercially important compound Diosgenin, distributed in different regions of India. The present investigation was aimed to quantify diosgenin through High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography in 34 germplasms of Costus speciosus and also to identify the superior sources and to correlate the macronutrients of rhizospheric soil. The starch content varied in microscopic examination and correlated inversely (r=−0.266) with diosgenin content. Findings revealed that the extraction process with acid hydrolysis yielded higher diosgenin content (0.15–1.88 %) as compared to non-hydrolysis (0.009–0.368 %) procedure. Germplasms from Uttar Pradesh (NBCS-4), Jharkhand (NBCS-39) and Bihar (NBCS-2) were identified as elite chemotypes based on hierarchical clustering analysis. The phosphorous content of respective rhizospheric soil correlated positively (r=0.742) with diosgenin content. Findings of present study are useful to identify the new agrotechniques. The elite germplasms can also be used as quality planting material for large scale cultivation in order to assure a sustained supply to the herbal drug industry.     

Chromosome number and DNA content in callus culture ofCostus speciosus (Koen.) Sm.

Karyological changes in the callus tissue ofCostus speciosus (Koen.) Sm. at different ages have been analysed both by counting chromosome number and quantitating DNA content through cytophotometry. The cultures had been established from the tuber and maintained in modified Murashige and Skoog's basal medium (Physiol. Plant. 15: 473–497, 1962) supplemented with 2,4-D, NAA and BAP. Abnormality in chromosome behaviour leading to the formation of hypo- and hyperdiploid cells along with the diploid cells was observed. The abnormalities reached an optimum at different ages of the callus followed by a decline which varied amongst three populations. The frequency of hyperdiploid cells was higher than that of the hypodiploids. The role of endomitotic replication as well as non-disjunction of chromosomes resulting in the variation in chromosome number has been suggested. This was supported by the nuclear DNA value in successive passages. A difference in average amount of nuclear DNA with increase in age of the callus was recorded and the value also differed amongst these populations.     

Callus Cultures from Zygotic Embryos of Costus speciosus and Their Morphogenetic Responses

Soft, nodular and hard types of calli were initiated on mature zygotic embryo explants of two tetraploid clones of Costus speciosus, of which, only the hard calli were amenable to morphogenetic responses. The two clones differed in their growth regulator requirements both for the initiation of calli and for shoot regeneration. De novo formation of both shoot bud meristems and somatic embryoids were observed. Latter were encased partially or fUlly by coleoptilar sheath. Embryoids could be isolated as discrete units. On maturity, a stock like appendage developed from the base and finally embryoids got detached from the subtending tissue. Both shoot-bud meristems and somatic embryoids developed into complete plantlets, the former upon sequential transfer of calli on Schenk and Hildebrandt’s (SH) basal medium containing lower levels of growth hormones, while the latter only on basal medium. These culture regenerants were subsequently transferred to the field. The morphogenetic behaviour of these two tetraploid clones reflects their marked genotypic difference inspite of their same ploidy status.     

Influence of Various Factors on Toxicity of Culture Filtrate of a Drechslera maydis Strain from Costus speciosus

Drechslera maydis causing severe leaf blight of Costus speciosus, produced toxic matabolites in vitro. Maximum toxin was produced in modified Fries’ medium if its carbon source was substituted with glucose and nitrogen source with asparagine. Highest toxin accumulation was found at 21 days of incubation and with the initial pH 5.0. The toxin was stable in acidic condition (pH 3.5—7.0) but unstable under alkaline conditions.     

激素对盾叶薯蓣愈伤组织细胞生长和薯蓣皂甙元合成的调控

不同生长素对盾叶薯蓣 (DioscoreazingiberensisC .H .Wright)愈伤组织细胞生长量的影响差异是NAA >IAA >2 ,4 D ,而对薯蓣皂甙元合成的影响是 2 ,4 D >IAA >NAA。在有生长素存在的条件下 ,光照 2 4h ,另加 0 5mg LKT促进愈伤组织细胞的生长 ,而附加 0 5mg LBA促进薯蓣皂甙元的合成 ;相反 ,光照 12h ,另加 0 5mg LBA促进生长 ,附加 0 5mg LKT促进合成。愈伤组织生长越旺 ,薯蓣皂甙元积累越少。低浓度的生长素促进薯蓣皂甙元的合成。     

Costusoside-I and costusoside-J,two new furostanol saponins from the seeds of Costus speciosus

The structure of costusoside I and costusoside J have been established as 3-O-{β-d-glucopyranosyl (1 → 2)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1 → 2) [α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1 → 4)]-β-d-glucopyranosyl}-26-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)-22α-methoxy 25 R)-furost-5-en-3β, 26-diol and its 22-hydroxy compound respectively, isolated fron the seeds of Costus speciosus.     

Antidiabetic and antilipidemic effect of eremanthin from Costus speciosus (Koen.)Sm., in STZ-induced diabetic rats

The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus worldwide is an issue of major socio-economic concern. Diabetes mellitus is a complex and a multifarious group of disorders that disturbs the metabolism of carbohydrates, fat and protein. Medicinal plants play an important role in the management of diabetes mellitus especially in developing countries. Costus speciosus is widely used in Indian medicine to treat various diseases. Eremanthin was isolated from C. speciosus. The structure was identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. Eremanthin was administered to streptozotocin (STZ) (50 mg/kg bw) induced diabetic male Wistar rats at different doses (5, 10, 20 mg/kg bw) for 60 days. Plasma glucose level was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in a dose dependent manner when compared to the control. In addition, oral administration of eremanthin (20 mg/kg bw) significantly decreased glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA_1c), serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol and at the same time markedly increased plasma insulin, tissue glycogen, HDL-cholesterol and serum protein. Eremanthin also restored the altered plasma enzyme (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase and acid phosphatase) levels to near normal. Results of this experimental study indicated that eremanthin possessed hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities and hence it could be used as a drug for treating diabetes.     

Wheat Callus Culture: the Initiation, Growth and Organogenesis of Callus Derived from Various Explant Sources

Callus was obtained from mature excised embryos of wheat, fromnodal and internodal stem segments and from rachis segmentsusing the medium of Murashige and Skoog(1962)(M medium), containing1-0mg l^–1 2,4-D, and from immature embryos using the mediumof Green and Phillips (1975) containing 2 mg l^–1 2,4-D.Callus yield from mature embryos depended upon the cultivarused. No callus could be obtained from leaf segments. Callusderived from mature embryos and nodal stem segments was successfullymaintained by serial sub-culture on the M medium containing2,4-D for up to 3 years although its growth rate declined toa lower level as culture proceeded. Such cultures consistently produced roots when transferred toa medium containing a low level of 2,4-D or no 2,4-D. The presenceof the auxin was essential for continued proliferation of thecallus tissue. Shoot initiation was infrequent, did not occurafter the first few sub-cultures and could not be enhanced byvarious auxin and cytokinin additions to the medium. Callusderived from immature embryos did not have an enhanced potentialfor shoot initiation. Triticum aestivum, wheat, callus culture, organogenesis     

Nitrate, Ammonium and Kinetin Effects on Growth and Enzyme Activities of Paul's Scarlet Rose Callus

Factorial experiments using the three variables nitrate, ammonium, and kinetin at six different concentrations each (nitrate 4.64 to 215 mM; ammonium 2.15 to 100 mM; and kinetin 0.1 to 4.64 mg/l) were set up to measure the effects of each of these factors, and their interactions, on the fresh weight, protein, and enzyme activities of callus of Paul's Scarlet Rose. Optimum fresh weight values were obtained with nitrate at 46.4 mM. Ammonium inhibited growth at concentrations above 2.15 mM, and kinetin had no significant effect. Significant interaction between nitrate and ammonium effects on growth was found. Kinetin did not interact significantly with either nitrate or ammonium to influence the fresh weight. The specific activity of glutamate dehydrogenase (NAD) in the aminating reaction increased with increasing ammonium concentrations to 21.5; at higher concentrations the activity remained high. Glutamine synthetase specific activity was constant over a large range of nitrate and ammonium concentrations, increasing only when nitrate went from 46.4 to 100 mM. Glutamine synthetase was sensitive to the nitrate: ammonium interaction. Specific activity decreased at progressively higher ammonium levels when nitrate concentration increased. No glutamate synthase activity was detected at optimal nitrate concentrations.     

Effect of triacontanol on the micropropagation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Costus speciosus</Emphasis> (Koen.) SM. Using rhizome thin sections

Summary The highest percentage of shoot regeneration of Costus speciosus was achieved using thin rhizome sections and triacontanol (TRIA). Factors affecting the rate of shoot multiplication and rooting with TRIA have been investigated. Initiation of shoot buds was observed when rhizome thin sections were cultured on B₅ basal medium supplemented with 5μgl⁻¹ TRIA. Shoots with two to three leaves produced roots when cultured on B₅ basad medium supplemented with 2 μgl⁻¹ TRIA. The well-rooted shoots were hardened and transferred to soil where they showed normal growth and a 100% survival rate was achieved. Results of this study showed that TRIA can be used as an effective growth regulator in the micropropagation and conservation of C. speciosus.     

盾叶薯蓣内生真菌及其对宿主培养物生长和皂苷元生产的影响

从盾叶薯蓣根状茎中分离并鉴定了9株内生真菌,经悬浮培养14d,分别制备灭活菌丝和菌液浓缩物。其中,内生尖孢镰刀菌Dzf17能有效地提高盾叶薯蓣无菌苗和培养细胞薯蓣皂苷元的含量和产率,且灭活菌丝的诱导效果要强于菌液浓缩物。Dzf17灭活菌丝处理无菌苗,薯蓣皂苷元的产率为78.697mg/L,是对照(27.471mg/L)的2.865倍;用Dzf17菌液浓缩物处理无菌苗,皂苷元产率为41.822mg/L,是对照的1.522倍。Dzf17灭活菌丝处理培养细胞,薯蓣皂苷元的产率为1.391mg/L,是对照(0.691mg/L)的2.013倍;用Dzf17菌液浓缩物处理培养细胞,皂苷元产率为1.214mg/L,是对照的1.757倍。结果表明,在盾叶薯蓣无菌苗或细胞培养中添加一定量的内生真菌灭活菌丝或菌液浓缩物对于提高薯蓣皂苷元含量和产量将是一种有效的方法。     

Growth of callus and suspension culture cells from cotton varieties (Gossypium hirsutum L.) resistant and susceptible toxanthomonas malvacearum (E. F. Sm.) dows

Summary In vitro conditions are defined for starting and maintaining callus and suspension, cells from two cotton (Gossypium hirsitum L.) varieties, Im 216 and Acala 44, which are resistant and susceptible, respectively, to the bacterial pathogenXanthomonas malvacearum (E. F. Sm.) Dows. A light, friable callus was easily obtained and has been maintained for over 4 years. Whether stems or leaves, the explant source for callus initiation made no difference for growth of callus tissue. Acala 44 callus had a fresh-weight doubling time of 4 to 5 days, and Im 216 callus had a fresh-weight doubling time of 4 to 9 days; however, in suspension culture the fresh-weight doubling times for Im 216 and Acala 44 were 6 days. The pH of the suspension medium dropped to 4.7 during the exponential growth phase and rose to 5.4 at the stationary phase. Attempts to induce root and shoot initiation from these callus cells were unsuccessful; however, greening of the callus tissue did occur. Schenk and Hildebrandt medium was used for both callus and suspension cultures. Inoculation of Im 216 and Acala 44 callus tissues with two races ofX. malvacearum resulted in a resistant and susceptible response, respectively. This research was supported in part by C. S. R. S. Grant 315-16-96 and the Agricultural Experiment Station of Oklahoma State University.     

Nicotine Production by Tobacco Callus Tissues and Effect of Plant Growth Regulators

Relationships between callus origin and the nicotine contents as well as conditions of nicotine production in tobacco tissue cultures were investigated. Nicotine contents of callus tissues were remarkably affected by plant growth regulators in the culture medium. Thus, nicotine production was promoted by the regulators at lower concentrations, but gradually inhibited when the concentrations increased over an optimal region which was different among several kinds of the regulators. The nicotine contents also considerably depended on conditions of the callus induction as well as organ from which they were derived, at least just after callus induction. The differences due to the induction conditions were considered to be gradually lost during successive cultures. Thus, the nicotine contents appeared gradually to change to a certain level which mainly depended on the concentration of the regulators added to the culture medium. When such stabilized callus tissues were transferred to a culture medium containing another regulator or different concentration of the regulator, their nicotine contents rapidly changed to a new level depending on the culture conditions during a few successive cultures. The stabilized callus tissues grown on a medium containing 0.1 ppm α-NAA contained 0.5% of nicotine or more, which was almost the same level in root of the intact plant.