The establishment of Polygala paniculata L. tissue culture allowed a rapid propagation of raw plant material under aseptic and standardized conditions. Plantlets were subjected to simultaneous distillation-extraction (SDE) and volatiles composition analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. The effect of BAP (6-benzylaminopurine) on in vitro development and volatiles production was evaluated. The main feature of volatile compounds was the significant amount of methyl salicylate. Plantlets cultured on control MS (Murashige & Skoog) medium showed more than 80% of salicylate, while the addition of BAP at 2 and 4 mg L-1 concentrations reduced methyl salicylate production to 71% and 21%, respectively. Tissue culture of P. paniculata proved to be a potential source of methyl salicylate.
BAP; micropropagation; volatile compounds; elicitor; Polygalaceae
