Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng.) Pedersen is one of the brazilian ginseng species used as medicinal plant. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of carbohydrate concentration (15, 30, 45, and 60 g.L-1) and source (sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, and lactose) on the growth of plants grown in vitro. An entirely random statistical design with 15 replications per treatment was used. The experimental unity consisted of a test tube containing 10 mL of MS medium and 1-node segment of 1,0cm length and without leaves. After 41 days of the inoculation the growth parameters analyzed were sprout number, total number of nodal segment per seedling, average length of sprouts, length of the highest sprout, fresh and dry matter weight of aerial parts, and root dry matter weight. The best carbohydrate source for growth of P. glomerata in vitro cultured plants was sucrose, and lactose was found unsuitable. The total number of nodal segment per seedling, average length of sprouts, length of the highest sprout, fresh and dry matter weight of aerial parts, and root dry matter weight increase by sucrose concentrations, and at 30, 45 and 60 g.L-1 all parameters were significantly higher than those obtained by other carbon sources.
tissue culture; medicinal specie; sugars; Amaranthaceae
