CLONAL MICROPROPAGATION ENDEMIC OF THE NORTHERN CAUCASUS MENTHA LONGIFOLIA (L.) HUDS - Biochemistry and Biotechnology: Research and Development - page 177

Chapter 23
C LONAL M ICROPROPAGATION E NDEMIC
OF THE N ORTHERN C AUCASUS M ENTHA
L ONGIFOLIA (L.) H UDS
A. E. Rybalko * and S. L. Gubaz
Sochi Institute of Russian University of People's Friendship, Sochi, Russia
A BSTRACT
We conducted studies to develop methods of introducing the culture in vitro
micropropagation and grown them in the Black Sea city of Sochi. The valuable plant
Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds. Apical stem tips (0,2-0,3 mm) were planted on MS basal
medium contained of MS salts, 100 mg L -1 myo-inositol, 0.2 mg L -1 thiamine HCl, 0.1
mg L -1 pyridoxine HCl, 0.2 mg L -1 ascorbic acid, 0,5 mg L -1 nicotinic acid, 20 g L -1
sucrose, and 0.6% cell culture reagent agar. Four to five weeks after initial culture, shoots
were selected for our regeneration experiment.
Keyword : Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds., Apical stem tips, MS basal medium
Mint - is the genus of aromatic perennial herbs belonging to the family Lamiaceae. These
plants are found mainly in temperate and subtemperate areas of the world. Mint has a large
number of varieties, which differ widely in characteristics and ploidy level. Several species of
genus is considered industrial crops, because they are the sources of essential oils that contain
some monoterpenes, widely used in food, aromatherapy industry, cosmetic and
pharmaceutical industries. Also mint is an important food crop. It is also worthwhile to
consider the use of plants in landscape design. Mint applies to plants exposed to a strong
degree of viral infection. It was recently been described a large number of viruses isolated
from different varieties of mint grown in the National Clonal Germplasm Repository
(NCGR), USA [1]. This review describes the isolated pathogens related to nematode-
transmitted, aphid-transmitted, thrips-transmitted, whitefly-transmitted viruses and viruses
* Fax: [phone], E-mail : [e-mail].