Biomass and biochemical accumulations in ın vitro-grown Rubia tinctorum under the effect of different concentrations of biosynthetic silver nanoparticles

Abstract

Plant cells are the biofactories of valuable chemicals. For efficient commercial production, in vitro biomass accumulation should be enhanced in the first place. For that purpose, growth regulators (auxins and cytokinins) at different concentrations have been frequently used in plant tissue cultures. Silver nanoparticles, which inhibit ethylene synthesis in plants, may be beneficial alternatives for growth regulators. Because of their practical and cost-effective production, biosynthetic silver nanoparticles were used in Rubia tinctorum node cultures in this study. Node explants were exposed to 0–30 mg L?1 biosynthetic silver nanoparticles in Woody Plant Medium (WPM) medium. At 10 mg L?1 silver nanoparticle concentration, shoot lengths and multiple shoot numbers were enhanced by 34% and 18%, respectively. In the same medium, shoot fresh and dry weights showed 52% and 22% increase, whereas 72% and 51% enhancements were recorded in root fresh and dry weights, respectively. At higher concentrations of silver nanoparticles (20 and 30 mg L?1), sharp drops were observed in growth parameters. Total phenolic, flavonoid, anthraquinone concentrations, total antioxidant capacity, radical scavenging activity, and chlorophyll and carotenoid contents of plantlet and root biomass were also examined. Except for total phenolic and flavonoid concentrations, all the other parameters were affected by the changing silver nanoparticle concentrations. The results showed that biosynthetic silver nanoparticles can be used to boost biomass and biochemical accumulations in R. tinctorum. The optimum dose of silver nanoparticles for better biomass accumulation was determined as 10 mg L?1. © 2022, The Society for In Vitro Biology.