IN VITRO CULTIVATION OF SAFFRON (CROCUS SATIVUS L.) AND ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC HOMOGENEITY USING IPBS MARKERS

This research was an attempt to develop a protocol for the most optimal in vitro cultivation of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). The dried stigmas of the plant are known as spice imparting colour, flavour and aroma to foods and beverages. The appropriate disinfection procedure to introduce corm explants into in vitro culture was established. The optimum corm formation and corm growth (mean number of 3.6 per explant) was achieved on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 5 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 1 mg/l indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), while MS supplemented with 1 mg/l indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) was the best medium for root development. The fingerprinting profiles of the field saffron and the in vitro cultures assessed by iPBS markers were found identical which implies that no genetic alterations have occurred in response to in vitro cultivation.