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Aim: Rhodiola imbricata is an endangered medicinal plant of the trans-Himalayan Leh-Ladakh region belonging to the family Crassulaceae. An efficient propagation and regeneration system via direct shoot organogenesis from leaf explant and evaluation of cinnamyl alcohol (Secondary metabolite) was established in this study. Material and Methods: In vitro grown leaves were inoculated using Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with (alpha)- naphtalene acetic acid (NAA) in combination with 6- benzyladenine (BAP) for callus proliferation and regeneration. Results: The highest percentage of rhizogenous callus was induced in medium containing NAA (10.0-15.0 μM). The highest percentage of shoot formation from leaf derived callus was obtained in the medium containing of NAA (5.0 μM) and BAP (2.5 μM) as well as in NAA (1.0 μM), BAP (5.0 μM) (38.88% and 37.49%) respectively. Rooting of regenerated shoots were effective when a lower concentration of NAA (0.5 μM) was used alone. A maximum number of roots (22.0) and higher length (0.6 cm) was observed. The in-vitro plantlets with well-developed shoots and roots were acclimatized successfully to natural field conditions with a survival rate of over 80%. Cinnamyl alcohol (Secondary metabolite) evaluation was also done for the very first time and an upregulation of 49.6% and 30.6% were observed in in-vitro roots and shoots when compared with mother root and shoot respectively. Hence, it was proved that the content of secondary metabolites obtained from in-vitro raised plants is higher than mother plant. Conclusion : These results may lay a foundation for genetic improvement and can be used to determine sequential level of targeted secondary metabolites through cell culture in Rhodiola imbricata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characterization of newly synthesized materials is a cornerstone of all chemistry and nanotechnology laboratories. For this purpose, a wide array of analytical techniques have been standardized and are used routinely by laboratories across the globe. With these methods we can understand the structure, dynamics and function of novel molecular architectures and their relations with the desired performance, guiding the development of the next generation of materials. Moreover, one of the challenges in materials chemistry is the lack of reproducibility due to improper publishing of the sample preparation protocol. In this context, the recent adoption of the reporting standard MIRIBEL (Minimum Information Reporting in Bio-Nano Experimental Literature) for material characterization and details of experimental protocols aims to provide complete, reproducible and reliable sample preparation for the scientific community. Thus, MIRIBEL should be immediately adopted in publications by scientific journals to overcome this challenge. Besides current standard spectroscopy and microscopy techniques, there is a constant development of novel technologies that aim to help chemists unveil the structure of complex materials. Among them super-resolution microscopy (SRM), an optical technique that bypasses the diffraction limit of light, has facilitated the study of synthetic materials with multicolor ability and minimal invasiveness at nanometric resolution. Although still in its infancy, the potential of SRM to unveil the structure, dynamics and function of complex synthetic architectures has been highlighted in pioneering reports during the last few years. Currently, SRM is a sophisticated technique with many challenges in sample preparation, data analysis, environmental control and automation, and moreover the instrumentation is still expensive. Therefore, SRM is currently limited to expert users and is not implemented in characterization routines. This perspective discusses the potential of SRM to transition from a niche technique to a standard routine method for material characterization. We propose a roadmap for the necessary developments required for this purpose based on a collaborative effort from scientists and engineers across disciplines., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)