An efficient in vitro protocol for propagation of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is described. Multiple shoots were induced in vitro from shoot tip and nodal segments on Murashige and Skoog medium containing 6-benzylaminopurine, zeatin, or thidiazuron alone and in combination with naphthalene acetic acid or indole-3-acetic acid. | Turkish Journal of Biology Research Article Turk J Biol (2013) 37: 106-113 © TÜBİTAK doi: Antioxidant activity of in vitro propagated Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plants of different origins Ely ZAYOVA, Ira STANCHEVA, Maria GENEVA*, Maria PETROVA, Lyudmila DIMITROVA Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria Received: Accepted: Published Online: Printed: Abstract: An efficient in vitro protocol for propagation of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is described. Multiple shoots were induced in vitro from shoot tip and nodal segments on Murashige and Skoog medium containing 6-benzylaminopurine, zeatin, or thidiazuron alone and in combination with naphthalene acetic acid or indole-3-acetic acid. A high frequency of shoot induction as well as maximum number of shoots per shoot tip explant was observed on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine ( mg L–1) alone and combined with indole-3-acetic acid ( mg L–1). For root induction, in vitro shoots were transferred to rooting media containing naphthalene acetic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, or indole-3-butyric acid. The highest rooting frequency and the highest number of roots was observed in half-strength Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with mg L–1 indole-3-butyric acid. The rooted in vitro plants were successfully acclimatized in a growth chamber and transferred to the field. Leaf extracts of plants propagated in vitro and adapted to field conditions are characterized by high levels of water-soluble antioxidant capacity (expressed as equivalents of ascorbic acid), phenols, and flavonoids, and therefore by high total antioxidant potential, expressed as DPPH radical scavenging activity. Key words: Acclimatization, micropropagation, nodal segments, shoot tips 1. Introduction Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, belonging to the .
