Abstract

PHENOLIC CONTENT AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF IN VITRO INDUCED CALLUS OF FARSETIA AEGYPTIA

Walaa M. Ismail, Amira Abdel Motaal*, Nadia Sokkar and Ahlam M. El-Fishawy

ABSTRACT

A comparative study was carried out on the total phenolic contents and the antioxidant activities of the 70% methanolic extracts of the in vitro induced callus of Farsetia aegyptia, and the aerial parts and roots of the conventional plant. The effect of using different explant types and phytohormone combinations on the induction of callus, its content and activity was studied. MS medium supplemented with 2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid : benzyl aminopurine : naphthalene acetic acid, 1 : 2 : 0.1 mg/L gave the peak callusing capacity (80 %) using cotyledon explants. Extracts of the calli induced on this medium using leaf and root explants showed comparable phenolic contents (7.32 ± 0.01 and 6.33 ± 0.10 mg GAE/g, respectively) to those of the aerial part and root extracts of the conventional plant (9.21 ± 0.06 and 6.2 ± 0.17 mg GAE/g, respectively). Consequently, the callus extract of the leaf explant showed the highest antioxidant activity (55.03 ± 0.09 % inhibition of DPPH free radical) at a concentration of 50 mg/ml. However, extracts of the aerial parts and roots of the conventional plant displayed higher activities (70.47 ± 0.96 and 79.04 ± 0.05 %, respectively) at a much lower concentration (10 mg/ml).

Keywords: Farsetia, callus, phenolic content, antioxidant activity.