Two cryoprotectant solutions, including trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and several loading durations were used to evaluate the cryopreservation of the shoot tip of Eriobotrya plants. | Turkish Journal of Biology Turk J Biol (2018) 42: 224-230 © TÜBİTAK doi: Research Article Effects of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) and loading duration on the shoot tip cryopreservation of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) 1,2 1 3 1,2 1,2, Tian-qi HUANG , Muhammad Qasim SHAHID , Faheem Shehzad BALOCH , Shun-quan LIN , Xiang-hui YANG * State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, . China 2 Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, Guangzhou, . China 3 Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Abant İzzet Baysal University, Bolu, Turkey 1 Received: Accepted/Published Online: Final Version: Abstract: Two cryoprotectant solutions, including trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and several loading durations were used to evaluate the cryopreservation of the shoot tip of Eriobotrya plants. The best results for regrowth () were obtained from 10% TMAO compared to 10% DMSO as cryoprotectant, although nonsignificant differences were found for survival between the two cryoprotectants. We detected pronounced effects of loading duration on survival and regrowth rates of shoot tips. The maximum regrowth () was observed at 9 h of loading duration. The cryoprotectants and loading durations greatly affected the regrowth of Eriobotrya shoot tips, and TMAO could be introduced as a nontoxic and efficient cryoprotectant. These results could lay a foundation for the cryopreservation of Eriobotrya. Key words: Eriobotrya, cryoprotectant, loading duration, survival and regrowth rate 1. Introduction Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) belongs to the family Rosaceae and the subfamily Maloideae. With 16 original loquat species, China has the most abundant .
