An efficient protocol for mass micropropagation of Artemisia annua L. was developed. The shoots were in vitro cultivated on a full and half strengths MS supplemented with BAP and IBA for shoot and root induction from stem tip explants. Maximum number of shoots (19.1) with an average shoot height of 3.6 cm was achieved at full MS medium + 1.0 mg/L BAP, after four weeks of cultivation. The best plant rooting (100%), with 7.4 average roots' number per explant and average root length of 15.1 cm, was obtained at ½ MS medium + 0.1 mg/L IBA + 2.0% sucrose, after five weeks of cultivation. Under these growing conditions, an increase of total phenolic and flavonoid content of A. annua tissues was registered. The multiplied plants were successfully ex vitro adapted and 65% survival was achieved on the mixture of soil, perlite and sand (2: 1: 1 v/v/v) used for acclimatization. The amounts of phenols and flavonoids, as well as total antioxidant activity of ex vitro plants, were significantly higher compared to those in the in vitro plants, but similar to the levels measured in vivo. The effective protocol for shoot micropropagation that was developed, could enable a large scale commercial production of A. annua.

No abstract