Effect of Activated Charcoal on in Vitro Propagation of Lythrum salicaria L. (Lythraceae)

Lythrum salicaria L., commonly referred to as Purple Loosestrife, is a medicinal plant that has been valued for its therapeutic properties for centuries. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of using activated charcoal on establishing the in vitro propagation of L. Salicaria L. In this study, shoot explants (1.5 cm) were excised from buds that were 30 days old with a sterile scalpel blade and then cultured on full‐strength MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of activated charcoal to multiply and increase the length of shoots. Additionally, to investigate the in vitro rooting response, shoot tip explants were cut from elongated shoots and cultured on an MS medium containing different concentrations of NAA with or without activated charcoal with three replicates in each experiment. MS medium with 0.5 g/L activated charcoal had the highest mean shoot length (7.1 cm ± 0.15) and mean number of shoots per explant (2.4±0.11). The results show that 0.5 mg/L NAA and 0.2 g/L activated charcoal provide the best response for rooting. The improved protocol can be utilized to grow roots in micro shoots of L. salicaria, which is an important stage in the micro propagation of L. salicaria.