Growth of hairy roots of Beta vulgaris, which produces betalaines, and of Tagetes patula, which produces thiophenes, was studied under the influence of externally treated polyamines.Of the three polyamines, viz. putrescine, spermidine and spermine, administered singly at 1.5 mM concentration, putrescine and spermidine at 0.75 mM concentration influenced increase in the accumulation of biomass of B. vulgaris and T. patula hairy roots by 1.42 and 1.30 fold over the control. Whereas, the treatment of spermine (1.5 mM) alone resulted in decrease in the biomass in both the systems. Combined administration of putrescine (0.75 mM) and spermidine (0.75 mM) enhanced growth in both B. vulgaris and T. patula than that observed in individual treatments. Polyamines administered alone or in combination did alter production of betalaine and thiophene content. Dose response experiments showed that, when putrescine and spermidine was administered at 0.75 mM concentration, it resulted in maximum biomass and production of betalaine and thiophene in B. vulgaris and T. patula respectively as compared to the control and the media treated with double and triple strength of nitrates and in combination with putrescine and spermidine at equimolar concentration. In B. wdgaris and T. patula hairy root cultures, endogenous spermine titers were maximum in putrescine and spermidine 0.75 mM each treated, cultures, which was 1.63 and 2.0 fold higher than in control on 28 th and 35 th days respectively.

The size distribution of cell aggregates, and the effect of celt aggregate size on anthocyanin content of Daucus carota cells in suspension cultures, was studied. The profile of biomass distribution in various size groups of cell aggregates indicated that over 92% of biomass was present in the aggregates of 500-1500 pm in diameter. The anthocyanin content increased initially with the increase in cell aggregate diameter up to 500-850 pm, and decreased rapidly with the increase in the cell aggregate size above this critical diameter. On the other hand, the surface colour intensity showed a steady increase with the increase in cell aggregate size, indicating a steep radial gradient of anthocyanin content along the radius of the larger cell aggregates.

No abstract

Aims: the aim of the present study was to determine the genetic diversity among the five commercially important species of Calamus using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Study Design: DNA extracted from mature leaves of selected species was used as template DNA for optimization of PCR amplification. Data was analysed with the help of software; numerical taxonomy and multivariate analysis version 2.02e (NTSYSpc) and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA).