Effects of different concentrations of benzylaminopurine on shoot regeneration and hypericin content in Hypericum triquetrifolium Turra

The current study was undertaken to determine the effects of different benzylaminopurine (BAP) concentrations on the accumulation of bioactive hypericin in Hypericum triquetrifolium Turra. via micropropagation. To achieve this objective, seeds of H. triquetrifolium Turra. were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with a BAP (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0), 3% sucrose and 5.5% agar. Apical tips of axenic germinated seeds were proliferated on a MS medium supplemented with BAP (0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg L(-1)). The highest shoot number was obtained from a MS medium supplemented with a 2.0 mg L(-1) BAP. Hypericin percentages were found to be highest in a 1.0 mg L(-1) BAP supplemented medium. These results provide the indication that cytokinin BAP can change the chemical composition of H. triquetrifolium Turra.; thereby, seriously impacting the quality and the efficacy of natural plant products produced by an in vitro culture system for aseptic production of hypericin.