Studies On Tissue And Cell Cultures And Extraction Of Phytochemical Constituents Of Rhodiola Plants

Rhodiola plants are perennial herbaceous plants in the Crassulaceae family and mainly distribute in the mountain regions. As a traditional Tibetan medicine, the Rhodiola plants have been used for promoting blood circulation and relieving cough for more than one thousand years. Recently, several medicinally active constituents from Rhodiola plants have been identified, including salidroside and tyrosol. Studies have shown that salidroside has such medical properties as anti-anoxia, anti-microwave radiation, anti-fatigue, extending life span of human being, anti-tumor and so on. Undoubtedly, Rhodiola plants have become a major force as environment adaptability medicines following Gensieng and Senticosus plants. Rhodiola plants were formally recorded in the new edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2005). A growing commercial demands for Rhodiola plants have caused a serious reduction in native populations and a consequence of over-harvest and deforestation. Natural resources of Rhodiola plants are on the edge of exhaustion. The overall objective of the current research was to develop efficient protocols for large-scale in vitro multiplication and cell culture of Rhodiola plants by plant bioreactor. Moreover, extraction of the major active constituents, such as salidroside, totol flavonoids and totol polyphenol from Rhodiola plants, was the other major objective of the research. The main results were as follows:The in vitro multiplication of Rhodiola plants by plant bioreactor was the first objective. 0.5% active chlorine for 15~30 min was efficient to sterilize the explants of four kinds of Rhodiola plants. 1~1.5 ml/L of PPM (plant preservative mixture ) in the culture medium efficiently inhibited the growth of endogeneous fungi in the explants of R. cranulata without obvious damage. The TDZ, BA and NAA were used to induce the adventitous buds-regeneration of four kinds of Rhodiola plants. The explants of R. yunnanensis and R.crenulata were very sensitive to the TDZ treatment. Significantly more adventitious shoots were observed on leaf explants of R. yunnanensis exposed to 2.5 mg/L...