Hypericum perforatum is a traditional medicinal plant with wound healing and antidepressive properties. Among the secondary compounds of interest is hypericin, a naphtodianthrone that seems to participate in the medicinal effects of this species. The aim of this work was to obtain an efficient micropropagation system of H. perforatum and to compare the hypericin content between in vitro and field-grown plants. Cultures were initiated from nodal segments of mature plants inoculated onto MS medium supplemented with 4.5 muM BA, kinetin, thidiazuron, individually or in combination with 0.05 muM NAA. Organogenic explants were observed on medium with either BA or kinetin alone or in combination of these with NAA. Subculture of organogenic explants onto the proliferation medium containing 4.5 muM BA promoted the organogenic response. The highest average of shoot production (52.6 shoots) was obtained on those explants induced in the presence of BA and NAA. Rooted plantlets were successfully acclimated. Analysis of hypericin contents showed that levels found in callus represented only 0.11 % of what was detected in adult plants, while shoots and leaves from in vitro plants showed similar hypericin levels to those found in the leaves of the field-grown plants, suggesting that the accumulation of this compound is related to leaf differentiation.
medicinal plant; micropropagation; organogenesis; St. John's Wort
