Rapid in vitro selection of salt-tolerant genotypes of the potentially medicinal plant Centaurium maritimum (L.) fritsch

Abstract

We investigated differences of salinity tolerance between 'salt-tolerant' (ST) and 'salt-sensitive' (SS) genotypes of yellow centaury [Centaurium maritimum (L.) Fritsch] selected during the germination phase. The ability of in vitro cultured C. maritimum to complete the whole ontogenetic cycle in less than 6 months enabled us to deterine salinity tolerance during different growth phases. Based on the physiological attributes measured in this study (growth, morphogenesis, photosynthesis, flowering, seed germination), it can be concluded that C. maritimum genotypes differing in salinity tolerance showed a variable response to elevated salt concentrations during both the vegetative and the generative growth phase.Vrsena su istrazivanja u cilju utvrdjivanja razlika u tolerantnosti na povecani salinitet izmedju in vitro selekcionisanih 'salt tolerant' (ST) i 'salt sensitive' (SS) genotipova zute kicice [Centaurium maritimum (L.) Fritsch]. Sposobnost vrste C. maritimum da kompletira ontogenetski ciklus u in vitro uslovima za manje od 6 meseci, omogucila je pracenje tolerancije na povecani salinitet tokom razlicitih faza razvica. Ako se uzmu u obzir svi fizioloski parametri koji su praceni u ovom istrazivanju (rastenje, morfogeneza, fotosinteza, cvetanje, klijanje semena), moze se zakljuciti da selekcionisani STi SS genotipovi zaista pokazuju razlicit odgovor u uslovima u uslovima povecanog saliniteta, kako tokom vegetativne faze, tako i tokom generativne faze razvica.