Seasonal variation of biomass and bioactive alkaloid content of goldenseal, Hydrastis canadensis.

Seasonal variations in biomass and alkaloid contents of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) were investigated. Five-year-old plants gave 5x the yield of roots and rhizomes of two-year-old plants, and summer growth gave significant increases in root biomass but not rhizomes. Berberine contents of roots plus rhizomes did not vary significantly and were >3.4% in all samples. Hydrastine contents of 5 y roots plus rhizomes showed significant seasonal variation. These variations were due to significant changes in the hydrastine contents of the roots (1.3-1.9%), but not the rhizomes (2.2-2.8%). Goldenseal leaves plus stems had lower contents of hydrastine (0.4-0.8%) and berberine (1.0-1.5%).

Micropropagation of Hydrastis canadensis: Goldenseal a North American endangered species.

An in vitro propagation protocol for rapidly producing Hydrastis canadensis L., Goldenseal, plantlets from disk tissue of young leaves was developed. Leaf explants were inoculated on MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of NAA and TDZ for production of callus. Two-month-old calli were sub-cultured on MS media containing cytokinins (BA, kinetin, TDZ) in different concentrations for shoot initiation. The optimum level of callus induction and maintenance was in 5.3 microM NAA in combination with 2.2 microM of TDZ. Shoot multiplication was achieved on MS medium with 2.2 microM TDZ in combination with 0.5 microM NAA. The alkaloid profile of micropropagated plantlets was similar to the profile of the mother plants. These results suggest that our in vitro propagation protocol will produce a positive impact in the conservation of H. canadensis.