Highly efficient regeneration and medicinal component determination of Phellodendron chinense Schneid

Phellodendron chinense Schneid is an important Chinese herb with berberine and phellodendrine in stems and leaves, but with little information available on in vitro culture of this species. Disinfection of explants in 75% alcohol for 45 s, sterilization in 0.1% HgCl2 for 20 min, and submersion in 1.0 mol L−1 gibberellin3 (GA3) solution for 24 h was the optimal condition for seed germination. Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with 2.0 mg L−1 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) in combination with 1.5 mg L−1 1-naphthylacetic acid (NAA) was optimal for callus induction. MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg L−1 6-BA was the appropriate medium for induction of adventitious shoots, and 1/2MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg L−1 indole-3-butytric acid (IBA) and 0.5% active carbon was the optimal medium for root induction. The 15-d survival rate of regenerated plantlets after transplanting to basins containing perlite and peat moss (1:4) was greater than 80%, and the berberine and phellodendrine accumulation was lower in callus compared with regenerated plantlets. The establishment of highly efficient regeneration system provides technical support for genetic breeding of Phellodendron chinense Schneid.