The effect of cytokinins on in vitro shoot induction of explant in both solid and liquid culture systems towards sustainable supply of Smilax myosotiflora

Smilax myosotiflora is a medicinal plant due to its aphrodisiac, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The demand for this forest resource resulted in its limited supply due to over exploitation. In line with Goal 15 in.Sustainable Development Goals, protecting and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, the liquid culture micropropagation of S. myosotiflora should be explored in order to reduce the cost of labour and the regeneration time associated with the established solid culture system. This study could lead to a viable supply of this culture for large-scale planting and commercialisation. The objective is to compare which culture system is suitable for shoots regeneration of S. myosotiflora with the presence of cytokinins. Nodal segments from a clean culture were cultured in a liquid medium containing Murashige and Skoog (MS) supplemented with two different types of cytokinin; 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and kinetin (KIN), at 0, 1.0, 2.5 and 4.0 mg/l added into the medium respectively. After the fifth to sixth week of culture, the length of the shoots was measured. The new shoots were transferred into a multiplication medium to determine its multiplication rate. The result showed 2.5 mg/l of both BAP and KIN in solid media demonstrated the highest multiplication rate of 1.4 and 1.2, respectively. Whilst, the highest multiplication rate in MS (liquid) of 1.2 and 1.1 is observed in 2.5 mg/l of BAP and 1.0 mg/l of KIN, respectively. In conclusion, MS (solid) supplemented with 2.5 mg/l of BAP was the best cytokinin for shoot induction of S. myosotiflora. Follow up studies should be focusing on the rooting stage and exploring the scaffold system in order to increase the efficiency of the liquid system. All of these could lead to a large-scale propagation and ex situ conversation, both being essential for a sustainable supply of Smilax species.