Cryopreservation of Shoot Tips and Cotyledons of the North American Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius L.)

• Published in: Cryo-Letters Vol. 32; no. 6; pp. 463 - 472
• Main Authors: UCHENDU, E. E, BROWN, D. C. W, SAXENA, P. K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lewes Cryoletters 01.11.2011; CryoLetters LLP
• Subjects: Abscisic Acid; Abscisic Acid (aba); Adaptation, Physiological; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Cold Temperature; Cotyledon; Cryopreservation; Culture Media; Diverse techniques; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Generalities. Genetics. Plant material; Genetic resources, diversity; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; Medicinal Plant; Molecular and cellular biology; Panax - embryology; Panax - physiology; Plant material; Plant Shoots; Pretreatment; Somatic Embryogenesis; Sucrose; SUCROSE AND VITRIFICATION; Embryonic development; Cotyledon; Sucrose; Vitrification; somatic embryogenesis; Biology; Medicinal plant; Cryobiology; abscisic acid (ABA); Cryopreservation; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; sucrose and vitrification; Abscisic acid; Spermatophyta; Pretreatment; Technique; Shoot; Araliaceae; Panax quinquefolius
• ISSN: 0143-2044

North American ginseng (NAG) (Panax quinqueolius L. ) is a medicinal plant in high demand due to its health benefits. Cryopreservation is a good alternative for long-term conservation of NAG germplasm. Pretreatments of shoot tips (0.8-1 mm) and cotyledons (1-2 mm) on sucrose and abscisic acid (ABA) enriched medium were tested to determine the effects on regrowth following cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen. The maximum regrowth (60%) following PVS2 vitrification occurred with shoot tips after three weeks of cold acclimation and pretreatment on sucrose (0.3 M) or a combination of ABA (0.1 M) and sucrose in the 3rd week. Cotyledon recovery was best with the combination pretreatment. Shoot tips showed normal development and cotyledons produced embryogenic callus after the cryopreservation process. This is the first report on cryopreservation of shoot tips and cotyledons of Panax species. This cryopreservation protocol provides a safe long-term storage method for important NAG selections and makes it possible to use cryopreservation for improving the security of NAG germplasm.