A new method for propagation of the medicinal plant Pelargonium sidoides

Roots of the South African medicinal plant Pelargonium sidoides DC are used for the production of herbal medicinal products for the treatment of acute bronchitis [1]. Until today, the plant material partly originates from wild collections. With regard to species protection in combination with an increasing demand of plant material for the industrial production, the requirement of an effective method for the propagation of P. sidoides becomes obvious. Somatic embryogenesis, a cell culture technique for plant reproduction, was used to generate embryos from somatic cells of blossom stems of P. sidoides. A one-week cultivation of the explants in media containing the phytohormone thidiazuron followed by a cultivation period without phytohormones resulted in the induction of numerous somatic embryos within 3 – 4 weeks [2], but low rates of plant regeneration. From roots and cell cultures [3] of P. sidoides, arabinogalactan-proteins were isolated and characterized. A treatment of explants with these purified arabinogalactan-proteins led to higher rates of embryogenesis and plant regeneration. The method allows a propagation of genetically identical plants with interesting composition of bioactive compounds.

Keywords: Pelargonium sidoides, somatic embryogenesis.

References:

[1] Brendler T, van Wyk BE. A historical, scientific and commercial perspective on the medicinal use of Pelargonium sidoides (Geraniaceae). J Ethnopharmacol 2008; 119: 420 – 433

[2] Duchow S, Blaschek W, Classen B. Reproduction of the medicinal plant Pelargonium sidoides via somatic embryogenesis. Planta Med 2015; 81: 1169 – 1174

[3] Duchow S, Blaschek W, Classen B. Influence of plant growth regulators on cell cultures of the medicinal plant Pelargonium sidoides. Afr J Biotechnol 2014; 13: 3244 – 3251