Phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi grown in vitro
Keywords:
In vitro, plantlet, Scutellaria, rare, phenolic content, antioxidant activityAbstract
The objectives of this work were to propagate plantlets of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, a rare medicinal plant in Mongolia, in vitro conditions, and to determine and compare their total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity with those of natural and cultivated plants. The seeds collected from Khentii aimag (province) were successfully germinated on half-strength MS medium supplemented with gibberellic acid (GA3), with the highest germination rate (16±0.8%) observed at 0.5 mg/L GA₃. Shoot regeneration occurred on hormone-free ½MS medium, while optimal root induction was achieved with 0.5 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Methanolic extracts of leaves and roots were analysed for their TPC using the Folin–Ciocalteu method and antioxidant activity using the DPPH radical scavenging assay. Plantlet leaves in vitro exhibited significantly higher TPC (88.7±1.5 mg/g GAE) compared to natural and cultivated plants, while roots in vitro also showed higher TPC (21±0.2 mg/g GAE) than their counterparts. Antioxidant activity was the highest in both natural and cultivated plant leaves and roots; however, leaves and roots from in vitro-propagated plantlets exhibited lower radical scavenging capacity, indicating comparable bioactivity. Overall, the results suggest that the initial in vitro regeneration protocol is effective for S.baicalensis propagation and the production of bioactive compounds.
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