Effect of polyploidization in the production of essential oils in Lippia integrifolia

IANNICELLI, JESICA; ELECHOSA, MIGUEL; JUÁREZ, MIGUEL ANGEL; MARTÍNEZ, ALEJANDRO; BUGALLO, VERÓNICA; BANDONI, ARNALDO; ESCANDÓN, ALEJANDRO SALVIO; VAN BAREN, CATALINA MARÍA

Industrial Crops and Products

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016 vol. 81 p. 20 - 29

0926-6690

tConsumption of medicinal and aromatic plants is widespread and increasing worldwide. Yet, harvestingfrom the wild, the main source of raw material in developing countries, is causing loss of genetic diversityand habitat destruction. This situation makes imperative the development and application of breedingprograms. Autopolyploidy has brought advantages for the improvement of agronomic traits of economi-cally important plants. In this sense, obtaining polyploid individuals is an interesting strategy to achievethis objective. In the present study successful induction of polyploidy in Lippia integrifolia (?incayuyo?)was achieved by applying colchicine in the multiplication medium MS + 2.2 M BAP. Induced autote-traploids showed significant differences from the field mother plant (size of the leaves, inflorescences,trichomes, stomatas, and pollen grains). In addition, essential oil yields were enhanced in tetraploids,and surprisingly, quantitative differences were detected in the composition of all recovered individualsfrom in vitro culture (tetraploids and diploids) with respect to the mother field plant. Due to the phe-notypic differences, and enhanced essential oil yields and composition, tetraploid individuals became anew variety of incayuyo.