is study aimed at developing a suitable and reproducible protocol for in vitro micropropagation of Aloe adigratana Reynolds using explants from offshoots with the help of the most commonly used plant growth regulators (PGRs). Explants were initiated in full-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) media enriched with 0.2 mg/L benzylaminopurine (BAP) + 0.2 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Shooting experiment was conducted in full-strength MS media enriched with 0/0, 0.5/0.5, 1.0/0.5, 1.5/0.5, and 2.0/ 0.5 mg/L BAP/NAA. Likewise, rooting experiment was carried out in half-strength MS media enriched with NAA at 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/L and indol-3-butyric acid (IBA) at 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/L. Finally, acclimatization study was conducted in greenhouse, nursery, and open field. e shooting response of the plant was best in MS media enriched with 1.0 mg/L BAP + 0.5 mg/L NAA.is media formulation resulted in the shortest mean number of days to shooting (14.00 ± 2.30 days), the highest mean shoot number (4.00 ± 3.40), and the second highest mean shoot length (8.60 ± 2.10 cm). IBA enhanced rooting at higher concentrations (1.0 and 1.5 mg/L), but NAA did the same at lower concentrations (0.5 and 1.0 mg/L). All plantlets (n � 62) survived primary acclimatization. Secondary acclimatization in composted and matured soil media under nursery and open field (sun light) condition produced 88 to 93% survival rate. e death of plantlets in the secondary acclimatization is accounted to mechanical damage. is study demonstrated that the tested PGRs were useful in enhancing the in vitro micropropagation of the plant. Future studies need to focus on optimizing the protocol for large-scale, commercial micropropagation.

Medicinal plants and plant remedies have been in use in Ethiopia for centuries. Studies on ethnobotany, ethnomedicine, and ethnoveterinary estimate that nearly 80% of Ethiopians use some type of medicinal plants and plant remedies. Medicinal plants are regarded as the most important and sometimes the only source of therapeutics in the country. Some 800 plant species are used as sources of medicine to treat about 300 physical and mental disorders. However, because these plant species are not adequately studied, there is a big limitation in their documentation, profiling, and management. Moreover, there is a continuous loss of knowledge about medicinal plants because the communities and people are adopting new lifestyles. Hence, this article reports the finding of a study aimed at providing the gross phytochemical characteristics and antimicrobial activities of ethanol and aqueous extracts of fruit, leaf, and stem of Solanum incanum L. against two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi) and two Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria for developing gross antimicrobial profile of the plant. Phytochemical screening of fruit, leaf, and stem extracts of S. incanum has shown that it is the source of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenoids, and steroids. According to agar disc-diffusion tests, 100 mg/mL extracts of the plant produced bacterial growth inhibition zones of 0.00 to 16.06 mm. Ethanol and aqueous leaf extracts produced inhibition zones ranging from 11.34 to 16.06 mm against all bacterial species. The greatest inhibition zone of 16.06 mm was recorded in E. coli subjected to ethanol leaf extract. The same extract resulted in a growth inhibition zone of 16.04 mm in S. aureus. The greatest growth inhibition zones in B. subtilis (13.34 mm) and S. typhi (11.56 mm) were observed with ethanol leaf and fruit extracts, respectively. Aqueous leaf extracts produced growth inhibition zones ranging from 10.45 mm (for S. typhi) to 14.02 mm (for E. coli). Ethanol leaf extracts resulted in the lowest Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC) of 1.56 mg/mL in E. coli and S. aureus. Therefore, fruits, leaves, and stems of S. incanum can be regarded as good sources of some bioactive compounds. The findings are important for taking measures for conservation and sustainable use of the plant as well as for further elucidation of its phytochemistry and antimicrobial efficacy of its constituents.

No abstract

This study was aimed to develop in vitro micropropagation protocol of Aloe trichosantha Berger using offshoots as explants. MS media supplemented with plant growth regulators helped explants develop shoots within about 14 to 17 days. The mean number of days to shooting has decreased from 16.8 ± 0.8 with 0.5/0.5 mg/L BAP/NAA supplement to 15.5 ± 0.5 with 2.0/0.5 mg/L BAP/NAA. While the mean shoot number has increased with increasing the concentration of BAP supplements, the reverse was true with mean shoot lengths, whereas supplement of 2.0/0.5 mg/L BAP/NAA has generated significantly more shoots (17 ± 3.8), and longer shoots were produced with the addition of 0.5/0.5 and 1.0/0.5 mg/L BAP/NAA. In regard to rooting, though higher concentrations of NAA have resulted in quick rooting, the rooting performance in terms of mean number and length of roots was better with low concentrations. All the plantlets subjected to greenhouse acclimatization in cocopeat have survived. Secondary acclimatization in composted and manured soil media has also resulted in 93 to 95% survival rate. Lighting conditions (nursery shade or direct sunlight) of secondary acclimatization did not lead to any difference in the survival rate of the plantlets.

No abstract