Tissue Culture

Electronic Journal of Biotechnology ISSN: 0717-3458 Vol. 9 No. 3, Special Issue, 2006
© 2006 by Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso -- Chile  
DOI: 10.2225/vol9-issue3-fulltext-14  
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Callus culture for biomass production of milk thistle as a potential source of milk clotting peptidases

Cecilia Cimino
Laboratorio de Investigación de Proteínas Vegetales
Universidad Nacional de La Plata
La Plata 47 y 115, CC 711, 1900
La Plata. Argentina
Tel: 54 221 4235333 ext. 57
Fax: 54 221 422 4067
E-mail: cvcimino@biol.unlp.edu.ar

Sandra Vairo Cavalli
Laboratorio de Investigación de Proteínas Vegetales
Universidad Nacional de La Plata
La Plata 47 y 115, CC 711, 1900
La Plata. Argentina
Tel: 54 221 4235333 ext. 57
Fax: 54 221 422 4067
E-mail: svairo@biol.unlp.edu.ar 

Francisco Spina
Laboratorio de Investigación de Proteínas Vegetales
Universidad Nacional de La Plata
La Plata 47 y 115, CC 711, 1900
La Plata. Argentina
Tel: 54 221 4235333 ext. 57
Fax: 54 221 422 4067
E-mail: frankspina1@hotmail.com 

Claudia Natalucci
Laboratorio de Investigación de Proteínas Vegetales
Universidad Nacional de La Plata
La Plata 47 y 115, CC 711, 1900
La Plata. Argentina
Tel: 54 221 4235333 ext. 57
Fax: 54 221 422 4067
E-mail: natalucci@biol.unlp.edu.ar

Nora Priolo*
Laboratorio de Investigación de Proteínas Vegetales
Universidad Nacional de La Plata
La Plata 47 y 115, CC 711, 1900
La Plata. Argentina
Tel: 54 221 4235333 ext. 57
Fax: 54 221 422 4067
E-mail: priolo@biol.unlp.edu.ar

*Corresponding author

Financial support: The present work was supported by grants from ANPCyT, CIC, CONICET, CYTED, and UNLP.

Keywords: Asteraceae, callus, rhizogenesis, Silybum marianum.

Abbreviations:

2,4-D: dichlorophenoxy acetic acid
BA: benzyladenine
NAA: naphtalenacetic acid

Abstract   Reprint (PDF)

The objective of this work was the optimization of the conditions of in vitro culture for callus production of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. (Asteraceae). Sections of cotyledons, previously disinfected by washing successively with ethanol 70º, NaClO (10% w/v) and Tween 20 (0.05% v/v) and rinsing with sterile distilled water, were used as explants. For its initial culture, B5 medium supplemented with BA and 2,4-D solidified with phytagel was used, and a 63% survival was achieved. To obtain callus, two solid media were assayed (S1 and S2) using B5 medium supplemented with growth regulators (BA and 2,4-D or NAA and BA, respectively). The calli were grown at 25ºC during 45 days in darkness. Growth kinetics was studied using S1 medium obtaining a typical growth curve with an exponential phase after 14 days of incubation (rate of growth 0.005 g dry weight/ day) and stationary phase after 35 days. The rate of growth in S2 medium was slower, and rhizogenesis was observed starting on the fifth week of incubation. From these results, the best culture medium for callus production of Silybum marianum was S1 medium.

Supported by UNESCO / MIRCEN network