In vitro MICROPROPAGATION OF Atropa belladonna L. USING PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS

Atropa belladonna is an important medicinal plant as it is valuable source of Tropane alkaloids. Two types of explant were used from A. belladonna (shoot tip, nodes) and two plant growth regulators, Cytokinines (kinetin and 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) were applied, respectively, at concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0) mg L-1. The aim of present study was the determination of the best explant for propagation, as well as determining the optimal hormone type and concentration, for precise propagation of A. belladonna plant. The obtained results showed that the best explant for A. belladonna propagation was shoot tip, which gave the highest average number of explants, the greatest length of the shoot and the highest number of leaves. The most effective cytokines used in the propagation was 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) which increased the average number of shoots, shoot length and number of leaves in comparison to kinetin (Kin). The best concentration used to obtain the highest average of shoot number was 2.0 mg L-1 of the BA (3.25 shoot explant-1). Whereas the highest value for the average length of the shoot reached to 3.03 cm and the number of leaves to 7.0 leaves explant-1 by using the BA at a concentration of 1.0 mg L-1.