Journal of Medicinal Plants Biotechnology

Abstract The Ferula gummosa plant is a perennial and valuable species from the Apiaceae family, native to Iran. The significance of this plant lies in its resin, known as galbanum. Dormancy of the seeds is one of the main challenges in its growth, taking at least 9 months under natural conditions. The aim of this experiment was to shorten the dormancy period of this plant using artificial seed technology. In this experiment, somatic embryos of F .gummosa at the heart-shaped and torpedo stages were obtained from leaf explants in an MS1/2 medium containing 1 mg/L of BAP hormone and 1 mg/L of NAA hormone. Additionally, the embryonic part of the seed was isolated and encapsulated using a 2% sodium alginate solution, resulting in the production of artificial seeds. The results showed that the encapsulated somatic embryos at the torpedo stage showed the greatest seedling length after 15 and 30 days, and the germination of these seeds was faster compared to other seeds. The seeds obtained from the embryonic part also showed acceptable results. The findings of this experiment indicate that considering the time required for producing artificial seeds of F. gummosa, this method is quicker and more suitable for the propagation of this plant.

Abstract Artificial seed technology is a novel method in biotechnology where artificial seeds are produced and encapsulated using various materials and processes. These seeds are typically created by encapsulating plant meristems or somatic embryos, using polymer materials such as sodium alginate for encapsulation. One of the advantages of these seeds is the easier and better cultivation of certain plants, especially those with harder germination conditions due to dormancy or environmental factors. However, the use of artificial seed technology comes with challenges, including environmental impacts, production costs, and technical issues such as improving encapsulation processes and the quality of artificial seeds. This article introduces artificial seeds and production methods, the materials used for encapsulation, the principles of encapsulation, the advantages, and challenges faced by these seeds. Some companies active in the field of artificial seeds and the plants from which artificial seeds are produced are introduced to further study and advance this technology.

Abstract Ferula.gummosa is one of the important medicinal plants in Iran and world. Today this plant is endangered in nature. One of the reasons for the threat is the long dormancy of galbanum seeds and its very low germination power, along with its uncontrolled harvesting. In this research, which was conducted in a completely randomized design with 3 replications and 3 treatments at the Biotechnology Research Institute of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, galbanum plant embryos from Fars province were seprated from seeds and cultured to find the best concentration for growth in MS media with concentrations of 1/2-1/4 and complete MS media. After 30 days, traits such as seedling length, seedling weight, and percentage of germination in each medium were measured and compared. The results showed that the growth rate of this plant in MS1/4 media was higher than the two other concentrations . According to available published sources, the results of this study are reported for the first time on the effect of culture medium concentration on germination and seedling growth indices of Ferula.gummosa plant