Allochrusa gypsophiloides is a rare Central Asian species, a super-producer of triterpene saponins with pharmacological and technical value. In this work, a comparative evaluation of the in vitro culture of adventitious roots (ARs), in vitro adventitious microshoots (ASs), natural roots and aboveground parts of wild plants from Kazakhstan to define the total saponin (TS), phenol (TP) and flavonoid (TF) content, as well as antioxidant (AOA) and antimicrobial activity, is presented for the first time. In the AR culture, growth index (GI), TS, TP and TF were evaluated on days 25, 45 and 60 of cultivation on ½ MS medium without (control) and with auxin application. It was found out that TS and TF were higher in the in vitro AR culture. The amount of TP and TF are higher in the aerial part of vegetative plants with maximum AOA. The concentration of the extract required to inhibit 50% of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical formation (ICO₅₀) in extracts from natural material negatively correlated with TS, TP, TF and in the in vitro AR culture with TF. Control extracts from the in vitro AR culture with high TS levels showed growth-inhibitory activity against S. thermophillus, S. cerevisiae and C. albicans. The influence shares of medium composition factor, cultivation duration factor and their interaction with GI, TS, TP and TF were determined. The in vitro AR culture is promising for obtaining triterpene saponins TSR with high antibacterial and antifungal activity, and the in vitro ASs culture—for shoot multiplication with antioxidant properties.

In this paper, the effect of an organic fertilizer, namely, “vermicompost tea” (VCT), on the germination of seeds of the rare wild species Scorzonera tau-saghyz Lipsch. et & G.G. Bosse was studied. S. tau-saghyz is an alternative rubber plant to Hevea brasiliensis, and it was widely distributed and grew well in the northwestern spur of the Tien Shan in the pre-war years (1931–1943). In recent decades, the number of wild species of S. tau-saghyz in natural populations has declined sharply due to climate change and the impact of anthropogenic factors. In this context, it has become necessary to restore the number of wild species. One of the critical phases in the restoration of surviving S. tau-saghyz populations and domestication is seed germination. The approaches that have been explored to increase seed germination, such as stratification and seed dressing with ethyl mercuric chloride, have not yielded good results. The current study covered 4 and 8 h short-term seed treatments with 1, 5 and 10% VCT. The priming of S. tau-saghyz seeds with 10% VCT was found to significantly increase germination from 39.0 (in the control) to 76.7% and to improve seedling vigor, mean germination time, and seedling weight. The combination of soaking the seeds in 10% VCT for 8 h and cultivating the seedlings in soil with 20% vermicompost further improved both germination and seedling growth. The vermicompost incorporation lengthened the main root, which normally accumulates rubber, and it increased its crude biomass by 1.6 times compared to that of the control.

The relationship between root morphometry, growth stages, and total saponin content (TS) by a vanillin-sulfuric acid method in the wild-growing Gypsophila paniculata (n 43), G. perfoliata (n 35), and Acanthophyllum pungens (n 47) from southeastern Kazakhstan was studied and a preliminary assessment of their inhibitory activity against Bacillus sp., Erwinia amylovora, Agrobacterium sp., Fusarium sp., and Aspergillus niger was conducted by the disk-diffusion method. ANOVA and correlation analysis of root parameters and TS content during the vegetation revealed: G. perfoliata exhibited consistent TS level and similar root indices during all phases; G. paniculata showed maximum TS at the flowering coinciding with minimal root diameter values; A. pungens—high TS accumulation and high root growth indices at the end of the vegetation. The differences among species indicate varying root growth dynamics during the growing season, which influence the TS accumulation. The variability in morphometry and TS at separately phase of growth may be associated with intrapopulation heterogeneity. The antibacterial activity of the extracts (10:1) varied depending on the target bacterial species and the extract dose. Gypsophila extracts did not differ in their activity against G+ Bacillus sp., G– Er. amylovora, and Fusarium sp. The A. pungens activity range additionally included G-Agrobacterium sp. and Aspergillus niger. These results may serve as a basis for further study of these species as promising sources of saponins with antimicrobial activity.

Malacocarpus crithmifolius is an endangered rare relict with small size populations grown in a limited area. The purpose of this study was to initiate in vitro and micro replication of Malacocarpus crithmifolius. The vegetative and reproductive explants and Murashige & Skoog medium (MS) supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of cytokinin and auxins were used. The response reaction of different explants and the plant growth regulators' effects on shooting frequency, the number of shoots, callusogenesis, and rooting percent were investigated. Culturing generative explants on the MS medium containing 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) combined with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) or indole-butyric acid (IBA) led to direct shoot regeneration. The bud mass appeared in the leaf axil under inflorescences after one week of cultivation on the initiated medium. The replication was reached by micro-cutting of induced additional shoots and 3-fold passaging them on the fresh mediums. The average multiplication result at MS with BAP in combination with 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) or IAA composed 5.85 after three months of cultivation. In conclusion, the applicable explant and phytohormonal composition of nutrient medium for initiation and micropropagation of M. crithmifolius were developed.