Download PDF
Planta Med 2003; 69(7): 679-682
DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-41124
Letter
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Inoculation Enhances Survival Rates and Growth of Micropropagated Plantlets of Echinacea pallida

Hemant Lata1 , Zita De Andrade2 , Brian Schaneberg1 , Ebru Bedir1 , Ikhlas Khan1, 3 , Rita Moraes1
  • 1National Center for Natural Products Research, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University MS, USA
  • 2Centro de Ecologia, Instituto Venezolano de Investigationes Cientificas Caracas, Venezuela
  • 3Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA
This work was partially funded by the Agricultural Research Service Specific Cooperative Agreement No. 58-6408-2-0009.
Further Information

Publication History

Received: November 13, 2002

Accepted: April 12, 2003

Publication Date:
04 August 2003 (online)

Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

In an attempt to induce positive effects on the acclimatization of in vitro propagated Echinacea pallida, four arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, Glomus mosseae, Gigaspora ramisporophora, Scutellospora fulgida and Entrophospora colombiana were selected to aid the soil adaptation process. Fungal inocula affected the survival of E. pallida plantlets ranging from 83 % to 92 %, depending on the AM species and also contrasting with 58 % survival of the non-inoculated plantlets. Growth and development were faster in mycorrhizal treated plantlets than in non-treated ones, especially among those treated with Glomus mossae and Scutellospora fulgida. The presence of well-formed arbuscules and vesicles in Echinacea infested roots was confirmed by microscopic examinations in addition to 90 % success in the survival rate of vigorous plants indicated that mycorrhization is a valuable tool to overcome Echinacea acclimatization shock.

References

  • 1 Giles J R, Palat C T, Chien S H, Chang Z G, Kennedy D T. Evaluation of Echinacea for treatment of common colds.  Pharmacotherapy. 2000;  20 690-7
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 2 Foster S. Echinacea: Nature’s immune enhancer. Healing arts press Rochester, Vermont; 1991
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 3 Harbage J F. Micropropagation of Echinacea angustifolia, E. pallida, and E. purpurea from stem and seed explants.  HortScience. 2001;  36 360-4
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 4 Barea J M, Azcon-Aguilar C. Production of plant growth-regulating substances by the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae .  Applied Environ Microbiol. 1982;  43 810-3
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 5 Gianinazzi-Pearson V, Dumas-Gaudot E, Gollotte A, Thiri-Alaqui A, Gianinazzi S. Cellular and molecular defence-related root responses to invasion by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.  New Phytologist. 1996;  133 45-57
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 6 Codignola A, Verotta A, Spanu P, Maffei M, Scannerini S, Bonfante-Fasolo P. Cell wall bound-phenols in roots of mycorrhizal plants.  New Phytologist. 1989;  112 221-8
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 7 Murashige T, Skoog F. A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco tissue cultures.  Physiologia Plantarum. 1962;  15 473-7
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 8 Sieverding E. Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza management in tropical agrosystems. Deutsche Gesellschaft für technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH Eschborn, Germany; 1991;: 331
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 9 Philips J M, Hayman D S. Improved procedures for clearing roots and staining parasitic and vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for rapid assessment of infection.  British Mycology Trans. 1970;  5 158-61
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 10 McGonigle T P, Miller M H, Evans D G, Fairchild G L, Swan J A. A new method, which gives an objective measure of colonization of roots by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.  New Phytologist. 1990;  115 495-501
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 11 Perry N B, Burgess E J, Glennie V L. Echinacea Standardization: Analytical methods for phenolic compounds and typical levels in medicinal species.  J Agri Food Chem. 2001;  49 1702-6
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 12 SPSS 9.0 for W indows. SPSS Copywright Inc Chicago, Illinois; 1998

Prof. Rita Moraes

National Center for Natural Products Research

Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences

School of Pharmacy

The University of Mississippi

University

MS 38677

USA

Phone: +1-662-915-1147

Fax: +1-662-915-1062

Email: rmoraes@olemiss.edu.