Total phenolics and flavonoids content, free radical scavaging potential, and major chemical constituents of tissue culture raised Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni

Authors: LATA, HEMANT - University Of Mississippi; CHANDRA, SUMAN - University Of Mississippi; AVULA, BHARATHI - University Of Mississippi; WANG, YAN-HONG - University Of Mississippi; KHAN, SHABANA - University Of Mississippi; SAGI, SATYANARAYANARA - University Of Mississippi; ELSOHLY, MAHMOUD - University Of Mississippi; KHAN, IKHLAS - University Of Mississippi

Submitted to: Journal of Tropical Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/8/2017
Publication Date: 12/15/2017
Citation: Lata, H., Chandra, S., Avula, B., Wang, Y., Khan, S., Sagi, S., Elsohly, M.A., Khan, I.A. 2017. Total phenolics and flavonoids content, free radical scavaging potential, and major chemical constituents of tissue culture raised Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. Journal of Tropical Agriculture. 35/1005:1014.

Interpretive Summary: In vitro propagated plants of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, a natural sweetener, were evaluated for phenolic compounds, free radical scavenging potential and, rebaudioside A and stevioside content and compared with mother plant to test the reliability of in vitro regeneration protocol. Our results show that in vitro propagated plants were found to be highly comparable to each other and to that of the mother plant in terms of their mean content of phenolics, flavonoids, rebaudioside A and stevioside as well as their antioxidant properties. Based on our results, the clonal fidelity of tissue culture raised S. rebaudiana plants is confirmed. The micropropagation protocol followed in the study is a useful supplement to the conventional and vegetative propagation and can be used for mass propagation S. rebaudiana to fulfill ever growing demand of natural sweetener in global market.In vitro propagated plants of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, a natural sweetener, were evaluated for phenolic compounds, free radical scavenging potential and, rebaudioside A and stevioside content and compared with mother plant to test the reliability of in vitro regeneration protocol. Our results show that in vitro propagated plants were found to be highly comparable to each other and to that of the mother plant in terms of their mean content of phenolics, flavonoids, rebaudioside A and stevioside as well as their antioxidant properties. Based on our results, the clonal fidelity of tissue culture raised S. rebaudiana plants is confirmed. The micropropagation protocol followed in the study is a useful supplement to the conventional and vegetative propagation and can be used for mass propagation S. rebaudiana to fulfill ever growing demand of natural sweetener in global market.

Technical Abstract: In vitro propagated plants of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, a natural sweetener, were evaluated for phenolic compounds, free radical scavenging potential and, rebaudioside A and stevioside content and compared with mother plant to test the reliability of in vitro regeneration protocol. Plants were propagated in vitro from nodal segments containing axillary buds. Explants were inoculated on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium containing 3% (w/v) sucrose, 0.8% (w/v) agar supplemented with 1.0 tM thidiazuron (TDZ) for shoot initiation and multiple shoot fonnation and further transferred in half strength MS medium without any growth regulator for rooting following Lata et al.'s protocol (2013). Fully rooted plantlets were successfully established in soil and grown to maturity at a survival rate of 95% in the climatic controlled indoor growing facility. Leaf samples from mother and tissue cultured raised plants were harvested at the peak vegetative stage (i.e. just before flowering). Air dried and powdered leaf samples were used for further analysis. Our results show that in vitro propagated plants (IVPP) were found to be highly comparable to each other and to that of the mother plant (MP) in terms of their mean content of phenolics, flavonoids, rebaudioside A and stevioside as well as their antioxidant properties. These results, thereby confirm the clonal fidelity of tissue culture raised S. rebaudiana plants.