Characterization of In vitro Propagated Plants Via Somatic Embryo Formation from Old Wild Panax ginseng

초록

Wild Korean ginseng has been recognized as highly precious medicine since ancient times. Nowadays, the population of wild ginseng in the forest of Korean peninsula is very rare due to indiscreet harvest. In this work, we investigated the plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis from embryogenic callus of old wild ginseng (more than 50 years-old) and compared the features of plants regenerated from 5-years old and 50 years-old ginseng. Induction of embryogenic callus from adventitious roots of 50 year-old wild ginseng required 83 weeks of culture, but only 10 weeks were sufficient for 5 year-old ginseng. Height and width of plants derived from the old wild ginseng was smaller and slender compared to the plantlets derived from 5 year-old ginseng. Total chlorophyll contents was 2-6 time lower in plantlets regenerated from 50 year-old wild ginseng than those from 5 year-old ginseng, but anthocyanin content was higher in 50 year-old ginseng. Our results revealed that plants regenerated from old wild ginseng have different morphological and physiological characters probably due to age-dependent phenomenon.

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