Abstract

A protocol for in vitro clonal propagation of Polygonum acre Kunth var. aquatile(Mart.) Meisn. is described as an alternative method to standardize raw material for production and experimentation. Disinfected nodal segments were inoculated into Murashige and Skoog basal medium (MS) and initially subcultured in the same kind of medium. They were then transferred to solid MS medium supplemented with 0.26 µM 6-benzyladenine (BA) in combination with either 0.26 - 6.5 µM α-naphthaleneacetic acids (NAA) or 0.26 - 6.5 µM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The best treatment for in vitro multiplication of P. acre contained MS + 0.26 µM BA + 1.3 µM NAA. The plants were successfully acclimatized, and the phenolics and tannins in these plants were quantified. Seasonal changes in condensed tannins were detected, with the highest accumulations in August. Total phenolics did not vary significantly throughout the year. Because the biological activity of P. acre has been ascribed to some polyphenols such as tannins, determination of seasonal changes that can improve the harvest of medicinal raw material.

Key words: Medicinal plant, seasonal phytochemical changes, condensed tannins, Polygonum acre, tissue culture.