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Medicinal plants are important in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industry owing to the diversity of their chemical composition. Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a medicinal plant that is frequently used to produce cosmetics and food. However, the effects of factors such as photoperiod, growth regulators, and nutrients on growth during micropropagation are not comprehensively understood. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of different photoperiods and growth regulators on in-vitro growth and biochemical activity of the O. Basilicum 'Genovese' cultivated using a potassium-supplemented culture medium. The experiments were carried out in a completely causalized design and were conducted using a Murashige and Skoog culture medium plus sucrose and agar. In the first experiment, seeds were inoculated at three different photoperiods in the presence or absence of growth regulators. In the second experiment, growth media containing five different concentrations of potassium iodide (KI) (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 μM) were used. Basil seedlings grown at photoperiods of 16h and 24h produced more leaves and larger length and shoot mass, and addition of growth regulators showed no effect. However, the root systems produced the highest average values at a photoperiod of 16 h and when growth regulators were supplemented (0.23 g ±0,08). Antioxidant activity and the concentration of ascorbate peroxidase were higher under the 16 h light treatment and with addition of growth regulators. Addition of potassium to the growth medium had no beneficial effects on seedlings. Antioxidant activity was not affected by potassium concentrations, but it remained high (above 13.5%) when compared with the previous treatment. Catalase activity was the highest in seedlings grown at the highest concentrations of KI. The catalase enzyme is considered a stress indicator, so in higher concentrations of KI there is evidence that the basil plants may have had oxidative damage

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and is highly prevalent in old age. Unlike current drugs, medicinal plants can have preventive and protective effects with less side effects. Given the great number of bioactive substances, plants from the Zingiberaceae Family have medicinal potential and currently are widely studied regarding its anti-Alzheimer's disease effects. The objective of this study was to provide an overview of advances in phytochemical composition studies, in vitro and in vivo pharmacological studies, and toxicological effects of the Zingiberaceae Family on Alzheimer's disease. Information was obtained from relevant papers in electronic databases. Most of the studies of Zingiberaceae effects on Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis theory are related to cholinergic, β amyloid cascade, tau, inflammation, and oxidative stress hypothesis. Also, in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies on the effect of Alpinia, Curcuma, and Zingiber genera have been reported as harmless and safe, with potential for anti-Alzheimer treatment.

Sweet basil is a perennial herb. Studies on in vitro cultivation of these plant species are scarce and inconclusive. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of culture medium concentration in combination with antioxidants and plant growth regulators on the in vitro growth and biochemical activity of sweet basil seedlings. Seeds of the ‘Genovese’ cultivar were inoculated into Murashige and Skoog culture medium supplemented with activated carbon and plant growth regulators 6-benzylaminopurine and α-naphthaleneacetic acid. The seedlings were grown under controlled conditions for 80 days and their biometric and biochemical characteristics evaluated. More abnormal seedlings were observed in the 100% medium with 30 g L−1 sucrose, 0.4 g L−1 6-benzylaminopurine, and 0.2 g L−1 α-naphthaleneacetic acid (T4) and the medium without regulators (T1). However, the T4 culture medium resulted in a higher leaf number and shoot dry mass. Antioxidant activity was higher in the seedlings grown in the culture medium composed of 100% medium + 3.0 g L−1 activated carbon + 0.4 mg L−1 6-benzylaminopurine + 0.2 mg L−1 α-naphthaleneacetic acid (T5) and that composed of 70% medium + 3.0 g L−1 activated carbon + 0.1 mg L−1 6-benzylaminopurine (T3). The enzyme superoxide dismutase showed higher activity in all culture media than catalase or ascorbate peroxidase. Sweet basil seedlings growing in T4 and T1 medium showed the highest growth rate of shoots and the lowest antioxidant activity, whereas seedlings grown in T3 medium had the highest catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activity. O manjericão é uma erva perene. Objetivou-se com essa pesquisa avaliar a influência da concentração do meio de cultura associado a antioxidantes e reguladores de crescimento sobre o crescimento e atividade bioquímica de plântulas de manjericão cultivadas in vitro. Sementes da cultivar genovese foram inoculadas em meio Murashige e Skoog - MS suplementado com carvão ativado e reguladores de crescimento benzilamonopurina e ácido naftalenoacético. As plântulas cresceram em condições controladas durante 80 dias e após este período avaliou-se características biométricas e bioquímicas. Maior quantidade de plântulas anormais foi verificada no meio composto por MS 100%, sacarose 30 gL-1, BAP 0,4 gL-1 e ANA 0,2 gL-1 (T4) e (T1) sem reguladores. No entanto, esse mesmo tratamento incrementou o número de folhas, e massa e fresca seca das brotações. A atividade antioxidante foi maior nas plântulas que foram mantidas no T5 - 100% MS, carvão ativado 3,0 gL-1+ 0,4 mgL-1 BAP + 0,2 mgL-1 ANA e no T3 - 70% MS, carvão ativado 3,0 gL-1+ 0,1mgL-1 BAP. A análise enzimática revelou que a enzima superóxido dismutase apresentou maior atividade em todos os tratamentos quando comparada com a catalase e a ascorbato peroxidase. Sendo assim, as plântulas de manjericão genovese que cresceram no T4 e T1 apresentaram melhores médias de crescimento em folhas e menor atividade antioxidante. Já as plântulas que cresceram no T3 apresentaram médias maiores para as enzimas catalase e ascorbato peroxidase. &nbsp

Genovese basil is a medicinal plant broadly used in medicine, perfumery, and cooking. In this study, the in vitro organogenesis and growth of Genovese basil seedlings are evaluated through the effect of growth regulators applied in different doses. Eight treatments were performed combining different concentrations of auxins and cytokinins, plus one control. At the end of the trial, growth characteristics of the seedlings were measured, and anatomical sections of the leaves and stems of the basil were prepared. The results demonstrated the need for cytokinins to increase the number and length of shoots and the length of roots. The treatment with 0.2 mgL-1 benzyl aminopurine (BAP) mgL-1 demonstrated the best result. The combined action of auxins and cytokinins increased fresh and dry masses of roots (0.3 mgL-1 BAP + 0.6 mgL-1naphthaleneacetic acid [NAA]). Partial changes in the leaf architecture as well as a reduction in the thickness of the palisade and lacunar parenchyma were observed, especially in treatment T8 (0.4 mgL-1 BAP+ 0.2 mgL-1NAA). In addition, all treatments with regulators presented adventitious roots in the stem, originating from inner-stem cells or vascular tissues. The formation of callus at the base of the plants and the occurrence of abnormal seedlings indicate that Genovese basil was responsive to the action of the growth regulators, although other factors regarding the medium could influence such responses. The growth regulators also function in the expression of genes linked to the stretching process (auxins) and cell proliferation (cytokinin).

Basil produces important compounds for the industrial manufacture of medicines, cosmetics, and food that are obtained by conventional production techniques. In vitro cultivation has contributed to the increasing reliability of the production, and efficient isolation, of target compounds independent of seasonal factors. We sought to assess the effects of copper sulfate on seedling growth and the elicitation of chemical constituents of the essential oil of basil leaves cultivated in vitro. Basil seedlings were grown in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium enriched with 25 and 75 μM CuSO4, as well as in control treatments. Essential oils obtained from the hydrodistillation of dried leaves were subjected to GC–MS analysis. The GC–MS and PCA analyses indicated the presence of two predominant volatile groups: Phenylpropanoids (77.81%) in the 25 μM CuSO4 treatment, with eugenol and methyl eugenol as major components, with industrial and pharmacological importance; and Monoterpenes (69.72%), in the 75 μMCuSO4 treatment and control, subdivided into monoterpene hydrocarbons (19.36%) and oxygenated monoterpenes (50.36%), with 1,8 cineole and linalool as major components.MS medium enriched with 25 μM CuSO4 resulted in seedlings with longer and more numerous leaves, which would be important for oil extraction. That Cu concentration probably affected the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway, which is triggered mainly under plant stress situations.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of copper sulfate (CuSO4) on the chemical composition of basil (Ocimum basilicum L. ‘Green’) using static headspace extraction. The basil was cultivated in vitro and ex vitro. The sowing was completed in trays, and the seedlings were transplanted to pots and grown in a protected environment for 180 d. For in vitro cultivation, the seeds were placed on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium enriched with growth regulators, sucrose, agar, and CuSO4 (at 0 μM [control], 25 μM, or 75 μM). Volatile organic compounds emitted from the excised leaves were collected by the static headspace technique, and identified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Twenty-six compounds were identified in the leaves harvested from the plants cultivated in vitro, while 11 compounds were identified in the leaves sampled from the ex vitro plants. Oxygenated monoterpenes were the main compounds found in plants cultivated ex vitro. Phenylpropanoids predominated in the control and the 25 μM CuSO4 treatments. The main compounds found were methyl eugenol (52.03%) and eugenol (20.66%). For the 75 μM CuSO4 treatment, the major compounds detected were linalool (28.14%) and 1.8-cineole (15.7%). Volatile secondary metabolites of basil cultivated in vitro with CuSO4 were easily isolated and rapidly obtained. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility and potential of using copper treatments to reduce the impact of seasonality on essential oil production.

Curcuma longa L. is a plant widely used for its pharmacological and medicinal properties, however, does not have a conclusive micropropagation protocol. The objective was to evaluate how growth regulators, sucrose and potassium influence the growth and biochemical activity of Curcuma longa seedlings grown in vitro. Shoots were inoculated in culture medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminpurine - BAP (8.88 and 17.76 μM), Kinetin - KIN (0.92 and 2.16 μM) and naphthalene acetic acid - NAA (2.16 and 7.20 μM), potassium iodide KI (25 and 50 μM) and sucrose (30 and 60 gL-1). Growth regulators at the lowest concentration and 30 gL-1 sucrose promoted increases in growth of C. longa. Antioxidant activity was high in all treatments. The activity of the enzymes catalase and ascorbato peroxidase were increased in the two treatments that contained the highest concentrations of growth regulators. It is concluded that the addition of growth regulators such as cytokinins and auxins are fundamental to increase the number of leaves and growth of shoots in C. longa. Since the best concentrations are in the range of 4.44 to 8.88 μM of (BAP) and 2.16 of NAA. The addition of supplemental potassium in the culture medium is not necessary, and the beneficial effects of doubling the usual sucrose concentration are nullified if other constituents of the medium are altered. The antioxidant activity and enzymes had their activity altered, especially in treatments that did not contain growth regulators.

This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro growth and biochemical activity of Curcuma longa explants using different MS medium formulations and growth regulators. In all the experiments, plants were grown in MS medium supplemented with agar (6.5 g L-1) and pH adjusted to 5.8. In the first assay, the MS culture medium at 70% strength, supplemented with 30 g L-1 of sucrose, and without the addition of activated carbon, resulted in the highest number of shoots. The sucrose concentration of 60 g L-1, combined with the addition of actived charcoalin half-strength MS medium, resulted in the increased root dry mass, root collar diameter, and relative chlorophyll index. In the second assay, the highest root collar diameter and dry matter of shoots and roots were found in the MS medium supplemented with 4.44 BAP, 0.46 KIN, and 1.08 NAA. The MS medium with 8.88 BAP, 0.92 KIN, and 2.16 μM NAA resulted in the highest number of shoots (7.75), number of leaves (35), and shoot length (88.57 mm). The antioxidant activity was significantly higher in the treatments that resulted in better plantlets growth performance, demonstrating that the antioxidant activity is related to other factors such as a possible role of growth regulators on the elicitation of compounds in plants. Superoxide dismutase had a high enzymatic activity in both assays, whereas the enzymatic activity of catalase and ascorbate peroxidase was dependent on the culture media used.

Genovese basil has great economic potential; however, there is no established micropropagation protocol for this species. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the in vitro growth of Genovese basil in response to different concentrations of salts in the Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) and interaction of sucrose and activated carbon. Two assays were conducted independently in an in vitro environment using the MS medium, regulators, agar, and five salt concentrations (0, 25, 50, 70 and 100%). In the second assay, two concentrations of sucrose (30 and 60 g L-1) and three concentrations of activated carbon (0, 3.0, and 4.5 g L-1) were tested.In addition, copper and zinc were quantified in the roots. The results showed that shoots were favored when the medium was at its full strength (100% salts), with seedlings forming more leaves.This result may be associated with a higher demand for nitrogen and because of the ionic balance between NH4+ and NO3-. High concentrations of salts affected the roots, but a reduction to 70% salt favored root development. Doubling the usual dose of sucrose (60 g L-1) damaged the growth of the seedlings. Damage caused by osmotic and oxidative potentials, and by toxic compounds may be related to the observed results. The amount of copper and zinc in the root increased with increased concentrations of activated carbon in the medium. The presence of activated carbon reduced callus formation but did not mitigate the effects of increased sucrose concentration.