Rapid mass propagation of endangered valuable medicinal plant Salacia chinensis L. and GC-MS/LC-MS analysis of active compounds produced in callus and leaf extracts

A protocol for indirect organogenesis of Salacia chinensis was established. Normally S. chinensis is propagated through seeds. However, due to the difficulty to obtain uniform plants in a short time period by seed germination, micro-propagation is a possible alternative method. For the micro-propagation, media with different concentration combinations of cytokinins and auxins were used to induce callus formation in three explants types: leaf segment, nodal segment and seeds. The rate of recurrence of callus formation from leaf on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with thidiazuron (TDZ) 0.5mg and TDZ 1mg was 100% and the maximum percentage of shoot let development from nodal segment on MS basal medium supplemented with BAP 6-(benzylamino purine) 3.5+ indole3-butyric acid (IBA) 1 mg/l was 78.3% when compared to other plant growth regulators (PGR) combinations used. The highest shoot regeneration response (85%) and the determined shoots (12.33 ± 0.33%) per callus were attained from leaf explants on MS medium containing 1-napthaleneacetic acid (NAA) 1mg/l + BAP 0.5 mg/l. The seeds showed highest percentage of shoot formation on MS medium supplemented with BAP 2mg + indole 3-acetic acid (IAA) 2mg/l and BAP 2mg + isopentenyl adenine (2iP) 2mg/l. Highest root formation (70±1.3%) was found in shoot regenerated using leaf segment on MS medium supplemented with IBA 0.5mg. The gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of methanolic extract of callus showed more compounds at higher percentage. HPLC-MS analysis of methanolic extract of callus showed higher concentration of Mangifera than in leaf extracts are reported for the first time.