Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Department of Horticultural Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran. (Adjunct Professor of Horticultural Sciences Department, Birjand University, Birjand, Iran)
2 Department of Food Biotechnology, Research Institute of Food Science and Technology, Academic member
Abstract
After the production of plant calli, frequent subcultures are needed for their long-term storage. The subculturing process is not only expensive and time-consuming, but there is also the possibility of contamination of cells, genetic variations, and changes in the quality and quantity of metabolites. This research was aimed with addressing the methods of increasing storage time saffron corme-derived calluses, so that they maintain their ability to regenerate. For this purpose, the calli were kept in the refrigerator (4°C) and room temperature (22±2°C) under a layer of liquid paraffin or without paraffin for 3 months without subculture. In the control treatment, the calli were kept at room temperature without the presence of paraffin and were subcultured every 20 days during the storage period. After the completion of the three-month period, the calli were transferred to liquid SH culture medium with the hormonal combination of 2 mg/l NAA+1 mg/l BA and 3% sucrose. Then, over the period of 6 weeks, parameters of cell growth index, pH changes of culture medium and the number of live and dead cells were measured. The results showed that the highest amount of cell growth was obtained from calli that were kept at 4 degrees of Celsius. On the other hand, the calli that were kept under a layer of paraffin, lost the ability to reproduce in suspension culture. It is interesting to note that low temperature not only did not have a destructive effect on the regeneration power of cells, but compared to the control treatment, it also stimulated the growth of cells in liquid culture. Based on these results, saffron corm-derived calli can be stored in the cold for almost three months without requiring subculture.
Keywords