Gypsophila paniculata L. is one of the most important commercial cut flowers worldwide. The plant is sterile and propagated mainly by in vitro culture techniques. However, hyperhydricity hinders its micropropagation and increases mortality during ex vitro acclimatization. Hyperhydric shoots of G. paniculata were proliferated from nodal explants on MS medium without growth regulators that contained 30 g L-1 sucrose, and gelled with 6.0 g L-1 agar. Medium components and environmental culture conditions were optimized to revert hyperhydricity in G. paniculata microshoots and develop an efficient micropropagation protocol for commercial production. Multiple shoots with high quality were successfully regenerated on MS medium fortified with potassium and ammonium nitrate at full concentration, 2.0 mg L-1 paclobutrazol, solidified with 9.0 g L-1agar in Magenta boxes of 62.87 gas exchange/day and incubated under light density of 60 µmol m-2s-1. We recorded 4.33 shoots, 40.00 leaves, 6.33 cm, 2.50 g and 95.00% for number of shoots/explant, number of leaves/shoot, shoot length, shoot fresh weight and normal shoots percentage, respectively. Well-rooted plantlets of G. paniculata were developed from the reverted microshoots, with the rooting percentage (95.00%) on MS medium augmented with 1.0 mg L-1 IBA in Magenta boxes of 62.87 gas exchange/day and 60 µmol m-2s-1 light density. In vitro-rooted plantlets exhibited reduced electrolyte leakage, and enhanced antioxidant enzymes activity of peroxidase, catalase, and polyphenol oxidase due to good ventilation at the highest gas exchange rate of the culture vessels.
Keywords: catalase; electrolyte leakage; gas exchange rates; light density; paclobutrazol; peroxidase; polyphenol oxidase.