No abstract

An efficient and reproducible procedure is described for direct shoot regeneration in Drymaria cordata Willd. using leaf explants cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with a-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 6-benzyladenine. The regeneration frequency varied with the plant growth regulator concentrations, orientation of the explants, and the carbon source and basal salts present in the regeneration medium. The highest mean number of shoots per explant (10.65 ± 1.03) was recorded on MS plates containing 3% sucrose and 0.8% agar supplemented with 0.1 mg/l NAA and 1.0 mg/l BAP. Shoot buds were induced in the basal parts of the leaf explants. Concentrations of NAA exceeding 1 mg/l suppressed shoot regeneration. Explants bearing the entire lamina and petiole were much more responsive than those having only the lamina. The plantlets that regenerated from the leaf explants were rooted successively on MS medium alone or in combination with indole butyric acid (IBA). The highest mean number of root organogenesis, with 25.67 ± 3.68 roots per leaf segment, was obtained in the presence of 1 mg/l IBA. Histological investigations of the regenerating shoots showed that the shoot buds had emerged from epidermal cells without callus formation. More than 90% of the in vitro-propagated plants survived when transferred to a greenhouse for acclimatization. Thus, this optimized regeneration system may be used for rapid shoot proliferation and genetic transformation.

The gradual disruption of the ozone layer in the stratosphere has resulted in increased exposure of plants to ultraviolet‐B (UV‐B, 280–315 nm) radiation. UV‐B radiation is known to affect crop growth and quality negatively. A study was conducted to determine the impact of elevated UV‐B radiation levels on the isoflavones and phenolic compound concentrations of seven soybean varieties. UV‐B radiation significantly reduced the concentration of most isoflavones and phenolic compounds in soybean seeds. Exposure to elevated UV‐B levels overall resulted in 35 % reduction in total isoflavones and 31 % in phenolic compounds concentrations. The effect on individual isoflavones and phenolic compounds depended on the compound and variety, but UV‐B overwhelmingly reduced concentrations. This study suggests that increased UV‐B radiation negatively impacted soybean quality by reducing the concentration of compounds that have health‐beneficial properties.