Callus induction and establishment of cell suspension cultures of the halophyte Armeria maritima (Mill.) Willd.

The objective of this work was to establish a cell suspension culture from Armeria maritima (Mill.) Willd., an halophyte so far only valuable for horticultural purposes, as a pre-requisite step towards the production of bio-actives secondary metabolites in vitro. For the initiation of callogenesis, five types of explants were tested: leaves from mature plants; leaves, cotyledons and roots from axenic seedlings; seeds. Three criteria either from a quantitative (percentage of callus induction) or a qualitative basis (aspect and friability) were used to evaluate the effectiveness of callus formation. Seeds-derived calli grown in the dark on MS medium supplemented with 4.5 μM 2.4D and 0.93 μM KIN were successfully selected for the establishment of cell suspension cultures, characterized by a growth index of 3.4 after 14 days of culture.