Kinga Maria Pilarska-Dudziak

The aim of this study was to establish in vitro cultures of Dionaea muscipula J. Ellis and Drosera capensis L. and to compare selected biochemical and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy-based characteristics of in vitro and ex vitro (greenhouse) grown plants. Seeds, shoot apex, and flower stalk segments were used for culture initiation on ⅓-strength Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with selected plant growth regulators. Plant material was analyzed for total polyphenols, flavonoids, triterpenes, chlorophylls, and carotenoids, as well as for spectral features associated with structural components. In vitro-grown plants of both species showed higher contents of chlorophylls, total polyphenols, and triterpenes than ex vitro (greenhouse) grown plants, whereas flavonoid content was higher in ex vitro (greenhouse) grown material, particularly in D. muscipula . Carotenoid content differed between cultivation systems in D. capensis but remained comparable in D. muscipula . FTIR spectroscopy displayed stronger spectral features associated with cellulose, lignin, and pectin in ex vitro (greenhouse) grown plants. These results suggest that cultivation conditions are associated with distinct biochemical and structural characteristics in both species. The study provides a basis for further optimization of in vitro culture systems and targeted metabolite profiling in these carnivorous plants.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the morphogenetic efficiency of the new flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) cultivar Silesia. The plant material consisted of five ecotypes of Silesia seeds selected by determining the fatty acid composition in individual plants. Thus, five ecotypes with different fatty acid compositions were applied for germination, and the resulting seedlings were used for callus induction. The observed in vitro morphogenic response of explants to the used callus induction medium was 100%, followed by varying development of shoots, with the highest value being 17 shoots per callus, with an average length of 7.15 cm (for ecotype 1). The biochemical analyses showed photosynthetic pigments were significantly affected by the tested ecotypes. The main conclusion is that the selection of plant material as a source of tissue cultures is crucial for efficient regeneration and organogenesis. One factor potentially influencing these processes is fatty acid composition and the ratio of linoleic to α-linolenic acid. A ratio ranging from 1.36 to 1.68 in the source material (seeds) used for initiation of tissue cultures resulted in the highest efficiency of shoot regeneration and number of obtained shoots per callus. A strong negative correlation (−0.78) was observed between shoot regeneration efficiency and the ratio of linoleic to α-linolenic acid in seeds from which the explants were obtained. Moreover, an efficient protocol of micropropagation from callus tissue was established for the new flax cultivar Silesia. An interesting insight into the metabolism of the obtained regenerants allowed us to determine the relationship between the content of chlorophyll and rhizogenesis efficiency. For these two parameters, the calculated correlation coefficient was 0.66. A strong relationship (high correlation coefficient: 0.79) was also established between flavonoid content and length of obtained regenerants, pointing to the developmental role of flavonoids.