Plant breeding through hybridization in cassava is facing a problem due to inconsistent flowering, and also the donor genes controlling superior traits are limited. An alternative method of breeding is through genetic transformation, and regeneration via somatic embryogenesis is promising route to achieve this. As somatic embryogenesis in cassava is genotype-specific, in the present study a protocol has been developed for UJ-3 and BW-1 genotypes. Immature sterile leaves from 7-10 days axillary shoots in a pre-condition medium were used as an explant. Leaves were inoculated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing picloram (0.0, 7.5, 10.0, 12.5, and 15.0 mg/L) and 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA, 6 mg/L) for induction of somatic embryos (SEs). Genotype BW-1 showed best results as early callus formation time i.e. 8.04±0.32 days after induction (dai) compared to UJ-3 (8.67±2.13 dai). The callus fresh weight (0.64 g) was also higher in BW-1 than UJ-3 (0.38 g) after 4 weeks in callus induction medium (CIM), and the callus formation ranges between 85.19±3.70 to 96.30±3.70% for both genotypes. Subculturing embryogenic callus to MS+CuSO4 (4 µM) + picloram (6 mg/L) +NAA (0.5 mg/L) (SK1 medium) germinated maximum SEs in BW-1 (46.56±36.86), whereas the number was less for UJ-3 (11.89±11.90). Further, shoots were developed from green cotyledons followed by hardening and acclimatization of plantlets.

Prunus ulmifolia Franch. (Rosaceae) was investigated for its phytochemical composition from South-Eastern Kazakhstan for the first time. HPLC analysis confirmed rutin (0.88%) in ethanol extract, and the extract also exhibited antioxidant activity. The GC/MS analysis identified total 44 components from main groups e.g. oxygenated monoterpenes (51.06%), oxygenated sesquiterpenes (20.33%), non-terpene derivatives (18.71%), and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (7.89%), and the maximum content was of acyclic alcoholic monoterpenoid citronellol (36.58%). The hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) from previous reports and present study were used to demonstrate the variations between essential oil compositions in different Prunus species. It formed three main clusters, cluster I consisted of species with benzaldehyde as dominant component. Cluster II included plants with benzaldehyde as secondary component, and cluster III was of P. ulmifolia in which benzaldehyde was not detected. Further, the essential oil was assessed for cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities too, and it showed better cytotoxic but poor antimicrobial activities.

In the flora of Kazakhstan there are many medicinal plants, of which the genus Artemisia (Asteraceae) includes 81 species. In the current study, chemical composition of essential oil from aerial parts of Artemisia austriaca Jacq. collected from different sites of Northern Kazakhstan was determined using GC-MS analysis. The chemical analysis demonstrated that the oil was dominated by oxygenated monoterpenes amounting to 39.49-59.20% with camphor (7.03-20.52%), 1,8-cineole (8.95-13.55%), α-thujone (3.16-25.78%) and β-thujone (0.87-9.92%) as major constituents. The results also suggested that there was difference in composition as well as amount among different sites depending on pH and organic matter of the soil. Further chemometric analysis using hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) of A. austriaca essential oil compositions from the published literature as well as the composition from present study were used in order to demonstrate geographical variations in the composition of the essential oils. It showed the existence of two main clusters: mixture of α- and β-thujones (32.5±21.6%) / 1,8-cineole (13.9±7.8%) (Cluster I) and camphor (40.5±17.4%) / 1,8-cineole (19.4±9.5%) (Cluster II).