In vitro photoautotrophic potential and ex vitro photosynthetic competence of Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng.) Pedersen accessions

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate whether the in vitro photoautotrophic potential and 20 hydroxyecdysone (20E) production of six Pfaffia glomerata accessions could be correlated to photosynthetic performance and biomass accumulation under ex vitro conditions in a greenhouse environment. Our results showed that P. glomerata accessions displayed varying photosynthetic rates that may have resulted in differential biomass accumulation both in vitro and ex vitro. Accessions A4, A13 and A43 showed the highest dry weight under in vitro photoautotrophic conditions, coinciding with the higher photosynthetic rates of the same accessions in greenhouse. They also showed the highest 20E mass per plant ex vitro. Production of 20E in vitro also varied among accessions, with the highest total mass achieved by accessions A4 and A43. In addition to having the potential for optimizing propagation by reducing the duration of the in vitro culture stage and lessening death rate during acclimatization, the use of these genotypes with higher in vitro photoautotrophic potential can guarantee highly productive plants ex vitro because the biomass accumulation pattern observed in vitro matched that under greenhouse conditions.