Possibility of Using Glass Beads as a Support Matrix for Plant Micropropagation in Temporary Immersion Bioreactors

Introduction: Micropropagation of plants in vitro using agar-free medium and bioreactors can reduce costs and make propagation by tissue culture economically feasible. The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of glass beads as a support matrix to the micropropagation of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis under both conventional and bioreactor culture systems.Materials and Methods: In this study, at first, the effect of two support matrices including glass beads and agar on the micropropagation of H. rosa-sinensis was evaluated under a conventional culture system with Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal salt mixture including ۰.۵ mg/L ۶-benzylaminopurine and ۳۰ g/L sucrose. In another experiment, we assessed the application of glass beads as a support matrix in a temporary immersion bioreactor (GB-TIB), compared with the standard TIB and conventional culture systems (agar and glass beads containing vessels). For root induction, the shoots were subcultured on an MS medium containing ۰.۲ mg/L indole-۳-butyric acids.Results: The results indicated that the plantlets grown on the glass beads either in a conventional culture system or in TIB showed more growth in the measured parameters including shoot length, leaf number, shoot fresh and dry weight, leaf area, chlorophyll content, root length, and root fresh and dry weight compared to plantlets grown in standard TIB and agar-containing cultures.Conclusions: The glass beads have a high potential for use in in vitro conditions as a good support matrix instead of gelling agents and into temporary immersion bioreactor.