In vitro propagation of marigold (Silybum marianum L.) via direct regeneration

Silybum marianum L., from fam. asteraceae, is a very important medicinal plant in the pharmaceutical industry due to its active ingredient silymarin. Silymarin is very effective in treating the liver diseases, hepatitis, and cardiovascular disorders. Since the potential and production speed of this medicinal compound is low in habitats under natural conditions, the use of genetic engineering and production of transgenic plants using the various techniques such as tissue culture has been considered in this plant. The first step in this direction is to obtain an in vitro regeneration protocol. In this study, the leaf explants obtained from the Hungarian cultivar of S. marianum were evaluated for the direct regeneration affected by different combinations of hormones. Six weeks after the culture, the highest shooting (57%) was observed in the ½ MS medium containing 0.4 mg l-1 zeatin, 0.2 mg l-1 BAP, and 0.2 mg l-1 NAA. The shoots were then transferred to the root culture medium with the different hormonal treatments. The results showed that the best treatment to obtain the long and high roots was the ½ MS medium containing 0.25 mg l-1 NAA and 2 g l-1 activated charcoal. The seedlings obtained from the direct regeneration grew well after transplanting into the soil.