Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro growth and biochemical activity of Curcuma longa explants using different MS medium formulations and growth regulators. In all the experiments, plants were grown in MS medium supplemented with agar (6.5 g L^-1) and pH adjusted to 5.8. In the first assay, the MS culture medium at 70% strength, supplemented with 30 g L^-1 of sucrose, and without the addition of activated carbon, resulted in the highest number of shoots. The sucrose concentration of 60 g L^-1, combined with the addition of actived charcoalin half-strength MS medium, resulted in the increased root dry mass, root collar diameter, and relative chlorophyll index. In the second assay, the highest root collar diameter and dry matter of shoots and roots were found in the MS medium supplemented with 4.44 BAP, 0.46 KIN, and 1.08 NAA. The MS medium with 8.88 BAP, 0.92 KIN, and 2.16 μM NAA resulted in the highest number of shoots (7.75), number of leaves (35), and shoot length (88.57 mm). The antioxidant activity was significantly higher in the treatments that resulted in better plantlets growth performance, demonstrating that the antioxidant activity is related to other factors such as a possible role of growth regulators on the elicitation of compounds in plants. Superoxide dismutase had a high enzymatic activity in both assays, whereas the enzymatic activity of catalase and ascorbate peroxidase was dependent on the culture media used.

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