Abstract

Abstract: Quantitative estimation of the total phenolics, total flavonoids, antioxidant activity and HPLC analysis of phenolic compounds in the mother plant, in vitro shooting and callus cultures of Cephalotaxus harringtonia L. grown in Egypt were measured. For shooting behaviour, using Woody plant medium (WPM) with 2 mg/l Benzyladinin (BA) in the second subculture gave the highest number of shootlet/explant (2.33 shootlet/explant) and shootlet length (2.67cm). It gave the highest content of total phenolics (67.916 mg/g d.w.) and the highest content of flavonoids (24.410 mg/g d.w.). For callus formation adding 6 mg/l naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) with 0.2 mg/l BA to WPM medium in the second subculture produced the highest weight of callus while MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/l NAA + 0.2 mg/l BA gave the highest content of total phenolics (34.060 mg/. g d.w.) and the highest content of flavonoids (4.368 mg/g d.w.). Antioxidant activity of all extracts was assayed using the 2,2'diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical method, the results showed that in vitro shooting culture using WPM with 2 mg/l BA in the second subculture gave the lowest IC50= 0.220 while callus cultured on WPM medium with 2 mg/l NAA + 0.2 mg/l BA showed the lowest IC50= 0.432. Gallic, caffeic, chlorogenic acids, rutin, apigenin-7-glucoside, quercetin and apigenin were identified and measured in mother plant and shootlets extracts by HPLC analysis but only Gallic, caffeic, chlorogenic acids, rutin and quercetin were identified in callus extracts.

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