In Vitro Micropropagation of Endangered Achillea fragrantissima Forssk. Combined with Enhancement of Its Antihyperglycemic Activity

Abstract

Achillea fragrantissima Forssk. (Family: Asteraceae) has been used as a natural remedy in the Arabian region for its antihyperglycemic activity. As a result of the intensive demand for this plant in folk medicinal uses, its scarcity has become problematic. This study has explored methods that produce an efficient in vitro culture protocol for the conservation of this plant as well as the enhancement of its hypoglycemic activity. A. fragrantissima cultures on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 3.6 µM/L of 6-benzyl aminopurine (BAP) for a two month period resulted in maximum in vitro shoot proliferation (12.33 shoots/explant) while MS medium supplemented with 2.4 µM/L 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) provided maximum in vitro adventitious root formation (2.46 roots/shoot tip explant). Callus induction was favored by leaf explants cultured on MS medium and supplemented with 3 µM/L BAP and 3 µM/L IAA media in dark conditions. Further in vivo study of some selected feedings determined that the best hypoglycemic activity was obtained in either indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)-fed plants (24%) or NAA-fed plants (22%). Both treatments enhanced insulin-like activity in STZ-treated diabetic Sprague-Dawley rats when compared with the wild plant (10%). Moreover, the IBA-fed plants showed significant antioxidant activity while the NAA-fed plants inhibited salivary alpha amylase. The framework of this study provides in vitro culture methods that can sustain the cultivation of this over-exploited A. fragrantissima plant as well as increase its antioxidant and insulin-like activities.

Comparison of Three Cytokinins on In vitro Multiplication of Orbea semota, a Conical, Stout-Teethed Succulent

“…Summary Table for Shoot Number per Explant Data regulators that are critical to the stimulation of shoot induction. Kinetin, 2iP and BA have been previously noted as some of the cytokinins that produced signi cant shooting response(Goda et al 2023). Therefore, cytokinins are generally used on micropropagation media to promote in vitro shoot multiplication(Enkhbileg et al 2019).…”