Physiological response of in vitro cultured Prunus cerasifera Nigra to the type and concentration of the carbon source

Rosen Sokolov

Abstract: In the present study, the effect of three carbohydrates – sucrose, glucose and fructose, applied as a carbon source in in vitro culture of Prunus cerasifera „Nigra‟ was assessed. The three tested carbohydrates were compared in mass concentrations of 20; 30 and 40 g/l. Mass concentrations were preferred because of the substantial difference in molar mass between glucose and fructose monosaccharides and the disaccharide sucrose, which allows sucrose to provide twice as many carbon atoms and energy in the growth medium. Plants grown on a medium containing fructose accumulated the maximum of dry weight of 53.98 mg; the highest average height of 15.83 mm and a significantly lower percentage of plants suffering from hyperhydration and symptoms of premature aging. For plants grown in sucrose-enriched medium, the highest fresh weight was 467.04 mg, the highest number of shoots was 6.89, but dry weight was the lowest – 44.28 mg; the smallest average height was 8.79 mm and the number of plants suffering from hyperhydration and premature aging – 86% was the highest. Plants cultivated for an extended period on a fructose-containing medium were established to have improved physiological performance in the first 2-3 subcultures. After 4 subcultures the percentage of failed micro plants dropped from 82% in plants grown in sucrose-enriched medium to 52% on medium enriched with 30 g/l fructose. An effect on the rooting process was also proven. The micro plants grown on a fructose-enriched medium expressed 77% higher survival rate and their rooting percentage exceeded with 125% that of the micro plants propagated on a sucrose-enriched medium.

Keywords: carbohydrates; in vitro; micropropagation; Prunus cerasifera

Date published: 2019-10-31