ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica 47/2: 83-87, 2005

Micropropagation of Rhodiola Kirilowii Plants Using Encapsulated 
Axillary Buds and Callus

Monika Zych1* Mirosława Furmanowa1, Anna Krajewska-Patan2, Anna Łowicka2, Mariola Dreger2, and Sylwia Mendlewska2 

1Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Warsaw,
ul. Banacha 1, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
2 Research Institute of Medicinal Plants, ul. Libelta 27, 61-707, Poznań, Poland

*e-mail: zych_monika@yahoo.de

Received March 5, 2005; revision accepted June 29, 2005

This study assessed regrowth of micropropagated Rhodiola Kirilowii buds after encapsulation of axillary buds and differentiating callus in calcium alginate hydrogel and low-temperature preservation. This method of micropropagation was applied to obtain enough plant material for studies on chemical compounds of Rhodiola Kirilowii, a plant difficult to obtain from its natural environment. Axillary buds and differentiating callus were encapsulated in calcium alginate and stored at 4C for 1 to 15 weeks and then transferred to hormone-free MS medium. The best results were obtained after six weeks of preservation: 100% of the encapsulated explants survived and developed into shoots and plantlets after subculture on basal MS medium. Longer storage of encapsulated axillary shoot buds decreased their regrowth, but the duration of storage of encapsulated differentiating callus had no significant influence on its survival.

Key words: Rhodiola Kirilowii, axillary buds, differentiating callus, encapsulation, cold storage, plant regeneration.

Abbreviations: MS - Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium; MS/2 - Murashige and Skoog medium with half amounts of all components; BA - benzyl adenine; IAA - indole-3-acetic acid; SA - sodium alginate; CA - calcium chloride; NAA - alpha-naphtaleneacetic acid; AC - adenine chloride.