THE ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF Gentiana lutea ROOT CULTURES

Gentiana lutea is known as one of the most valuable medicinal plant, most of the chemical compounds being synthesized in the roots. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties based on total phenolic content, flavonoids concentration and reducing capacity of the extracts from in vitro differentiated roots of the protected plant species G. lutea. Explants represented by leaf and root fragments originated in a six years old culture of somatic embryos, were inoculated on liquid and solid nutritive Murashige & Skoog media variant supplemented with mannitol. 3% mannitol in liquid media was able to induce the best result concerning number of roots and root length, but a higher antioxidant capacity correlated with flavonoids oncntraation was founded in the root cultures induced on solid medium variant. A viable method for root culture should be use for improving the biomass of the gentian and exploitation of the secondary metabolites. In this way, the protection of the endangered species is ensured.