The effect of light and growth regulators on callus induction and growth in Erythrina lithosperma Miq

Erythrina lithosperma Miq is a plant that is traditionally used in medicine, with its leaves containing alkaloids such as erythramine, erysodine, erysopine, and hypaphorine. These compounds are known for properties that make them act as antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and antimalarial agents. However, getting the raw materials for malaria drugs from natural sources can lead to issues like a loss of germplasm of the medicinal plants. In order to address such a challenge, biotechnology, particularly in vitro callus culture is necessary in providing a viable method for producing raw materials for malaria medicine. It is known that growth regulators can make callus form, and the in vitro method allows the media to be manipulated to get bioactive compounds with better quality, more quantity, better control, and greater stability. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate induction and proliferation of callus under various concentrations of growth regulators, specifically 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 6-Benzylamino-purine (BAP) in both dark and light conditions. The results showed that culturing in dark conditions with a combination of 1.0 mg/L 2,4-D and 0.5 mg/L BAP was the best for induction and proliferation of E. lithosperma Miq. This treatment produced the fastest and most substantial callus growth, with callus induction occurring 9 days after culture. The wet weight of callus was 1.268 g, and the dry weight was 0.082 g, which was higher than those observed with other treatments.