Silicij olajša mikrorazmnoževanje janeža (Pimpinella anisum L.)

Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) produces one of the most intense natural flavors. Plant tissue culture offers an effective strategy to meet the growing global demand for medicinal plants, especially cross-pollinating species (e.g., anise), with genetically heterogeneous seed-derived progeny limiting traditional propagation. Silicon (Si) supplementation in the culture media improves morphogenesis in several plant species, but its effect on anise has not been investigated. Herein, we investigated the impacts of various Si sources on the in vitro propagation of anise and the effects of varying concentrations of these Si sources on shoot induction, proliferation, and rooting response. Si supplementation significantly increased shoot regeneration frequency per explant and shoot length compared to the control. Sodium silicate-treated culture was superior to the calcium silicate- and potassium silicate-treated cultures, with 12.3 μmol l-1 and 16.4 μmol l-1 sodium silicate highly impacting the abundance of regenerated shoots and their length. However, neither Si sources nor their concentrations affected the percentage of explants that formed roots. Interestingly, root formation increased under reduced light exposure. This research offers novel insights into the influence of various Si sources on the morphogenetic response of anise, effectively facilitating its micropropagation frequency.