Experimenting the possibility of callus development and growth from Peganum harmala L. leaf discs and assessment of the antibacterial activities of callus extract againstSalmonella sp. and Bacillus subtilis

摘要

Peganum harmala L. (harmal) is a medicinal plant which has been used for ages in folk medicine for the treatment of many human diseases, including lumbago, asthma, colic, cancer, depression and malaria. Unfortunately, this valuable herb is facing thedanger of extinction and decline due to climate change and human activities. So, introducing harmal to tissue culture systems might contribute to efforts of propagation, conservation and production of elite secondary metabolites needed for medicine. Forthis aim, this study was conducted to experiment the possibility of callus establishment in harmal from leaf discs to be used later on as a row material for in vitro micropropagation. Also the antibacterial activity of callus and wild plant extracts against two bacteria strains was assessed. Callus establishment was experimented by culturing young leaf discs on MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of 2,4-D (0.0, 0.2, 0.6, 1.2 and 2.0 mg/l), where full rate of callusing was obtained at level of 2.00 mg/ L. Moreover, best callus diameter (3.98 cm), fresh weight (3.79 mg) and dry weight (0.096 mg) were obtained in the MS medium plus 1.5 mg/L TDZ in combination with (2.00 mg/ L) 2,4- D. Meanwhile, the highest callus growth parameters were recorded in media supplemented with 0.1 M sucrose, while the lowest growth values were obtained in mannitol experiment at all levels. Moreover, the obtained results for antibacterial activity of callus cultures and wild plant extracts indicated that, both extracts were able to inhibit growth in both bacterial strains, but the wild type extract showed a stronger inhibitory effects on Salmonella sp. and Bacillus subtilis (inhibition zone: 1.6 and 1.8 cm, respectively) than those obtained from callus extract.