Asexual propagation techniques for producing good quality germplasm for breeding and dissemination purposes have proven difficult for acacia species comprised of mature planting material. The study was conducted to study the effect of rejuvenation on the rooting ability of mature cuttings. Shoots were induced from the lower branch by cutting a part of the mature branch of the crown and leaving it horizontally on the propagation bench under the misting system. Shoots were harvested and further used as stem cuttings to evaluate their rooting ability through the application of rooting hormone. The rooting ability of the cuttings is highly variable among species. The percentage of stem sections producing juvenile shoots was similar for Acacia mangium Willd. (88%) and Acacia auriculiformis A.Cunn. ex Benth. (90%). Only 52% of stem sections were able to produce shoots for Acacia crassicarpa A.Cunn. ex Benth., followed by Acacia aulococarpa A.Cunn. ex Benth. with only 31%. Overall, A. auriculiformis rooted better and recorded the highest mean value for all traits tested. Hormone treatment significantly enhances the rooting ability of A. auriculiformis and A. mangium. However, A. aulococarpa and A. crassicarpa did not respond well to the treatment. Rejuvenated stem cuttings were rooted better than mature cuttings, producing the highest mean value for all traits tested in all species, with or without hormone treatment. Results indicated that it is possible to rejuvenate mature cuttings through bud break in a controlled environment.

Instytut Dendrologii PAN w Kórniku - Institute of Dendrology PAS (Kórnik, Poland)

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Moringa oleifera L. is a valuable multipurpose tree species widely planted for centuries due to its high medicinal value and antifungal, antiviral, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory properties in the food industry. However, its cultivation is hindered by production constraints such as the unavailability of planting material and the inadequate number of high-yielding clones. Thus, a study was initiated to select high-yielding clones in terms of growth and chemical content for the mass propagation of superior moringa trees. Screening on high-yielding clones with high astragalin content was conducted through the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of moringa leaf extract. Selected genotypes were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory potential through in vitro bioactivity assays of leaf methanol extract. The effects of the rooting hormone, rooting substrates, and size of the cutting on the rooting response of branch cuttings of moringa were investigated. Results found that samples collected from different ecological zones of Peninsular Malaysia show significant variation in terms of astragalin content. The extracts were observed to show considerable variation in biological activity against the pro-inflammatory enzymes. The size of the cuttings had significant effects on the rooting of the cuttings as longer cuttings with bigger diameters rooted better than shorter cuttings with smaller diameters. Several genotypes of M. oleifera with superior phenotypic characteristics and bioactive compounds have been identified. Factors affecting the rooting efficiency and optimal conditions of rooting are suggested, which provides valuable information for the propagation of the superior planting material of moringa. This effort will ensure the sustainable production and supply of good quality raw materials for the production of quality end-products for the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Medicinal plants are a vital source of new bioactive compounds due to their ecological biodiversity and varied chemical properties of each species. Phenotypic selection coupled with the evaluation of genotypes based on the chemical profile can be used for the development of a high-yielding variety. However, most of the raw material that has been used for commercial production of herbal products is mainly derived from wild sources, with little knowledge of the quality of genetic materials. Thus, three medicinal species, Chromolaena odorata (Siam weed), Andrographis paniculata (Creat), and Baeckea frutescens (False ru), were chosen based on their significant benefits to human health. These medicinal species have been traditionally used to treat various illnesses, and have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. This paper highlights the harvesting method and collection of accessions from natural habitats for the selection of superior genotypes. Individual plants having superior phenotypic characteristics and bioactive compounds were identified. We successfully developed appropriate propagation techniques for each species for the mass production of high-yielding planting material. The establishment of breeding activities for these medicinal plants will provide quality raw materials to support the herbal industry in increasing the value of pharmaceutical products. These efforts will also ensure the sustainable production of high-quality planting materials for the establishment of herbal plantations.