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Abstract
Nerium oleander L.(Family: Apocynaceae) is widely cultivated in Egypt as an ornamental plant. It is used in folk medicine for the treatment
of a wide variety of diseases including cardiovascular disorder and
tumors. Extraction of adequate quantities of cardenolides, including
oleandrin from N oleander L. leaves is an expensive and time-
consuming process. The present study focuses on the establishment of N
oleander L. cell cultures that may act as an alternative to the whole plant
extraction for the production of cardenolides and other active
metabolites. Improvement of callus growth and cell suspension cultures
growth and productivity were investigated using a two-level full factorial design with five factors which are carbon source, nitrogen concentration, 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D), auxins and cytokinins. Effects
of factors and their interactions on growth and cardenolide content in
callus and suspension cultures were estimated. The best medium for maximum cardenolide productivity in cell suspension, within the studied factors and leve ls, was determined to contain sucrose (30 gll), 60 mM
total nitrogen,l- naphthaleneacetic acid, kinetin (2 mg/l each) and
without 2,4-D. Cardenolide accumulation in suspension cultures showed
different kinetics from that of the cell growth. Although cardenolide
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content of in vitro cultures is low compared with the plant, callus growth
rate increased about twice during culture manipulation. Flavonoids were br>detected in cultured tissues. Culture extracts of N. oleander showed only weak antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, while plant extracts showed moderate antibacterial and strong articandidal activities.