Cryopreservation Conditions of Carthamus tinctorius Seeds / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study on the suitable cryopreservation conditions of Carthamus tinctorius seeds. MethodThe germination rate，relative conductivity，soluble sugar，soluble protein， and related enzyme activities of C. tinctorius seeds， as well as the hydroxysafflor yellow A （HSYA） content in Carthami Flos after storage and breeding for four months were detected under different temperature conditions （long-term storage，medium-term storage，short-term storage，room temperature，and ultra-low temperature refrigerator），different water content （8.1%，6.6%，5.2%，and 3.9%），and different storage time （2，4，6，8， 10 months）. SPSS 20.0 was used for statistical analysis. ResultDuring the storage for 10 months，the changing trend of the germination rate of C. tinctorius seeds revealed that it was more suitable to store seeds with low water content at a lower temperature. The differences in germination rate of seeds caused by storage temperature，seeds water content， and storage time were statistically significant. After storage for 10 months，the germination rate was significantly correlated with other detection indexes. ConclusionThe proper water content of C. tinctorius seeds in long-term and medium-term storage is 5.2% or 6.6%，and that in short-term and ultra-low temperature refrigerator is 3.9% or 5.2%. As revealed by the comparison results， the optimal storage conditions for C. tinctorius seeds were long-term storage and water content of 5.2%， which resulted in the highest germination rate and content of soluble sugar and soluble protein and the lowest relative conductivity after storage for 10 months. Additionally， the content of hydroxy safflor yellow A （HSYA） in Carthami Flos obtained after breeding and regeneration for four months was higher than that obtained after room temperature storage.

Germinación y multiplicación in vitro de Matricaria recutita L: los fenoles totales determinan su germinación / Germination and in vitro multiplication of Matricaria recutita L.: total phenols determine their germination

RESUMEN La manzanilla (Matricaria recutita L., Chamomilla recutita L. y Matricaria chamomilla L.), es conocida por su alto contenido de compuestos fenólicos que le confieren propiedades antiinflamatorias, antisépticas y antimutagénicas. En este estudio se evaluó el porcentaje de fenoles totales y la germinación en cinco periodos de almacenamiento de semillas de M. recutita (5, 31, 75, 96 y 128 días). Además, se evaluó el efecto de citoquininas (6-Bencil Amino Purina, BAP y Kinetina) y auxinas (α-Ácido Naftalen Acético, ANA) en la brotación in vitro de esta especie. Se evidenció que la concentración total de fenoles disminuyó de 13.8% a 1.9% en los cinco periodos de almacenamiento evaluados y que los porcentajes de germinación aumentaron de 2.2% a los cinco días a 8,9% a los 128 días de almacenamiento, mostrándose evidencia de una correlación de -0.989 entre la germinación y el contenido de fenoles totales. Los mejores resultados para inducir brotación (5 brotes/explante) fueron obtenidos en el medio de cultivo MS con citoquininas.

ABSTRACT Chamomile (Matricaria recutita L., Chamomilla recutita L., and Matricaria chamomilla L.) is known for its high content of phenolic compounds that confer anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antimutagenic properties. This study evaluated the percentage of total phenols and germination in five storage periods of M. recutita seeds (5, 31, 75, 96 and 128 days). In addition, the effect of cytoki-nins (6-Benzyl Amino Purine, BAP and Kinetin) and auxins (α-Naphthalene Acetic Acid, ANA) on in vitro sprouting of this species was evaluated. It was evidenced that the total concentration of phenols decreased from 13.8% to 1.9% in the five storage periods evaluated and that the germination percentages increased from 2.2% at five days to 8.9% at 128 days of storage, showing evidence of a correlation of -0.989 between the germination and the content of total phenols. The best results to induce sprouting (5 shoots/ explant) were obtained in the MS culture medium with cytokinins.

Mitochondria Are Important Determinants of the Aging of Seeds.

Seeds enable plant survival in harsh environmental conditions, and via seeds, genetic information is transferred from parents to the new generation; this stage provides an opportunity for sessile plants to settle in new territories. However, seed viability decreases over long-term storage due to seed aging. For the effective conservation of gene resources, e.g., in gene banks, it is necessary to understand the causes of decreases in seed viability, not only where the aging process is initiated in seeds but also the sequence of events of this process. Mitochondria are the main source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, so they are more quickly and strongly exposed to oxidative damage than other organelles. The mitochondrial antioxidant system is also less active than the antioxidant systems of other organelles, thus such mitochondrial 'defects' can strongly affect various cell processes, including seed aging, which we discuss in this paper.