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PLANT CELL, ORGAN, AND TISSUE COLLECTIONS. THE METHODS OF
GERMPLASM PRESERVATION ______
DIOSGENINANDPHYTOSTEROLINWILDANDINTRODUSEDMALE
ANDFEMALEPLANTSOFDIOSCOREABALCANICAKOSDURING
ONTOGENESIS
Lj.Culafic, K .Savicin-Fodulovie, D.Grubisic.
Institute o fBotany, Faculty o fBiology, Institute fo r Medicinal Plant Recearch "DrJosif
Pancic"and Institutefor BiologicalRecearch "SinicaStankovic", 2 9Novembra 142,
11060Belgrade, YugoslaviaE-Mail:
Dioscorea balcanica is an important medicinal plant with rhizomes that
contain steroid saponins - precursors in the synthesis of steroid hormones.
It is a relict and endemic plant species localized on very narrow areas in the
southwest Yugoslavia endangered and Garden therefore put under protection.
This dipecious species has-been introduced to Botanical Garden in Belgrade
where it blossoms and sets fruits. It is-also introduced to in vitro culture and
propagated through different regenertion systems (organogenesis, somatic
embryogenesis, microtabers)(l-3) in order to establish a mass: production
of plants.The content of diosgenin and pbytosterols in mail and femail plants
from natural localities and Botanical Garden was compared to that of plants
obtained from in vitro culture and then grown in the field for three years. The
samples were taken from Ihe leaves and rhizomes duiring vegetation period
and period o f quiescence. Quantitative analysis was performed by gas
chromatography after hydrolysis (4) and protodioscin analysis was done
spectrophotometrically (5), Rhizomes of female plants from natural localities
contained 2.5% o f diosgenin on a dry weight basis.They did not differ
significantly from plants introduced to Botanical Garden. The content of
diosgenin in rhizomes of male plants was about 2%. Diosgenin content in
the leaves was significantly lower (about 0.5%) and some what higher in
male versus fema le plants. The amount o f phytoste ro ls (sitoste rol,
stigmasterol, campesterol) was ratherlow not exceeding 0.2% in both organs.
However, protodioscin was found in rather high quantity in rhizomes of plants
from natural localities. Male plants contained 5*6% and female 6.5% of
protodioscin. In the course of ontogenesis the content of sterroid compounds
varied, being lower in the period of intensive yegetative growth than after
flowering and during period of quiescence. The plants cultivated in the field
had a higher content of diosgenin than those grown in natural localities.
1. Грубишич и др. Физиология растений, 1991,5:1018-1022
2. Грубишич и др. Физиология растений, 1993,2:28S-287
3. Чулафич и др. Физиология растений, 1994,6:929-934
4. Drapeaun et aL Planta medica, 1986,474-478
5. Гурилидзе и др. Прикл. биохим. и микробиол., 1986, 1: 131-136
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