Effects of storage temperature and sucrose on bulblet growth, starch and protein contents in in vitro cultures of Hyacinthus orientalis

The scale segments of the bulblets of Hyacinthus orientalis L. cv. Anna Marie were examined to improve their growth and development with cold-pretreatment and sucrose. The cold-pretreated (4 degrees C for 4 months) segments showed higher growth and better development of the bulblets on medium without sucrose than ones stored at 20 degrees C. A rapid decrease in starch content of bulb pieces was found during the first 2 weeks in all cultures and thereafter the content decreased gradually. A scanning electron microscopic observation during the bulblet growth and development showed a gradual decreasing trend of the starch granules from 2 to 16 weeks of the cultures. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis revealed the presence of a characteristic polypeptide of approximately 45 kD, which is assumed to be a major storage protein in the bulblets.