Nor Azma Yusuf

Curcuma xanthorrhiza, also known as Java turmeric, is a medicinal plant that has been used for centuries. Because of the growing global market demand for this species, several biotechnology studies involving in vitro propagation and production have been conducted. Unfortunately, high costs are incurred as a result of the high contamination level of shoot bud explants. As a result, it is addressed in this study in order to solve the contamination problem. Surface sterilisation is extremely difficult in most plants, making sterilisation procedures critical for successful cultures. A total of twelve distinct sterilisation methods were assessed on the explants where 70% ethanol and 5% sodium hypochlorite were added with fungicide or mercuric chloride with different time explore for surface sterilisation with the goal of identifying the best method to establish an in vitro culture. The sterilised shoot bud explants were then cultured on Murashige & Skoog (MS) media with no additional vitamin or plant growth regulators under light below 25°C. Based on this study, a combination of 70% ethanol + 5% NaOCl + 0.1% HgCl2 for 10 min was the best to reduce the contamination rate to 25% with a 65% survival rate of C. xanthorrhiza explant.

MR 219, an indica rice from a cross between MR 137 and MR 151 is a long-grain rice variety of high-yielding, good quality of shape and taste, short maturation as well as resistance to blast and bacterial leaf blight. However, it is regarded as a recalcitrant variety due to its low ratio of callogenesis and regeneration in in vitro culturing. This would be a hindrance to crop improvements such as genetic transformation and other crop improvement methods. The objective of this study was to optimize the concentrations and combinations of plant growth regulators (PGRs) which were 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), Kinetin (KIN) and Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on its callus induction that ranging from 0.5 to 15.0 mg/L. The callus was induced from the mature seeds of MR 219 on the Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with 4.4 g/L of MS powder with vitamins, 30.0 g/L of sucrose and 3.5 g/L of gelrite with the addition of 2,4-D, KIN and NAA in different concentrations and combinations. All media supplemented with 2,4- D had successfully induced the callus and 2.0 mg/L of 2,4-D was the best concentration for the callus induction with a 100% success rate. The addition of 15.0 mg/L of NAA, provided less time taken for callus induction with better callus morphology which resulted in fewer browning problems.

Adventitious Root Cultures of Boesenbergia rotunda as a Source of Pinostrobin