Establishment of In Vitro Culture of Zingiber officinale var bentong (bentong ginger)

Abstract

Zingiber officinale var. Bentong (Bentong ginger) is a renowned herbal plant in Malaysia that is extensively cultivated due to its remarkable medicinal properties, culinary applications, and health benefits. However, its production is hindered by several constraints, including a lack of efficient planting materials. This poses a significant constraint to industrial ginger production. In vitro culture offers a promising solution for the propagation of disease-free Bentong ginger plants, with a focus on utilizing shoot buds as planting materials. Thus, the study aimed to establish an effective in vitro regeneration protocol for Bentong ginger. First, several types and concentrations of plant growth regulators were tested on the regeneration of Bentong ginger using shoot buds as explants. The most effective regeneration of Bentong ginger occurred in MS media supplemented with 1.0mg/L BAP and 0.5mg/L NAA. This combination induced the highest mean numbers of roots, shoots, and leaves. Additionally, this study assessed the effectiveness of employing cost-effective alternative sugars, namely white sugar and brown sugar for in vitro micropropagation of Bentong ginger. The finding suggested that using white sugar could significantly reduce the cost of importing analytical-grade sucrose by 94.4%. Finally, the in vitro-raised Bentong ginger plantlets were subjected to molecular analysis using ISSR markers for genetic fidelity assessment. The analysis revealed no significant variations in the ISSR profiles when comparing the mother plants and in vitro-raised Bentong ginger plantlets, with a high monomorphism rate of 98.48%. The established micropropagation protocol ensures genetically uniform plantlets and offers the potential for cost-effective sustainable exploitation of Bentong ginger. This reliable method has the potential to enhance large-scale production, promoting sustainable agriculture and preserving the genetic resources of this valuable plant.