The effect of cytokinins on organogenesis and steviol glycosides accumulation of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a perennial plant with many active compounds, especially steviol glycosides present mainly in the leaf and other plant parts. Researches and food industry began to take interested Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni for a natural sweetners in the last 20 years. Stevia is useful in many areas: for cavities, depression, diabetes, fatigue, heart support, hypertension, hyperglycemic, infections, obesity, sweet cravings, tonic, urinary insufficiencies and as a sweetners. Research was carried out in Institute of Biology and Plant Biotechnology of Vytautas Magnus University in 2017-2018. Leaves and stems cultured on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 – 6.0 µM BAP, TDZ, KIN), 30.0 g l-1 sucrose and 8.0 g l-1 agar. It has been done HPLC analysis of steviol glycosides Our results showed that on MS media without growth regulators shoot formation frequency from leaves was an average 3.89 %, from stem segments was an average 7.78 %. On the medium supplemented with TDZ shoots formation frequency from tested explants was significantly higher in comparison with BAP and KIN. The highest shoots formation frequency has been obtained from stem segments, cultured on the medium supplemented with 4.0 µM TDZ. Medium supplemented with 4.0 µM TDZ can be useful for production Stevia rebaudiana plants with increased rebaudioside A and stevioside ratio through somatic tissue culture. The results of this study reveal the possibilities for Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni regeneration from leaves tissuesAgronomijos fakultetasBiochemijos katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta