In vitro micropropagation, total phenolic content and comparative antioxidant activity of different extracts of Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers.

Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers. is a common traditional medicinal plant used in bronchitis, anaemia, headache, fever, ophthalmia, nasal catarrh, leprosy, inflammation, gout and rheumatism. The present study aimed to assess plant regeneration and plantlets development in vitro using explants of S. grandiflora together with the estimation of total phenolic content and antioxidative activity of various extracts obtained from the plant. Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium added with different concentrations of plant growth regulators (PGRs) was used for plant tissue culture, whereas ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays were used to evaluate the antioxidant potential of different extracts of the plant. In the presence of 6benzylaminopurine (BAP; 0.1 mg/l), the highest level (85.41%) of seed germination was achieved while the highest callus formation (96.6%) was recorded with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D; 0.5 mg/l). In addition, the highest shoot induction, shoot formation and shoot elongation were observed with BAP (0.1 mg/l), indole-3-butyric acid (3 mg/l) and naphthaleacetic acid + BAP (0.4 + 0.2 mg/l) respectively. The extract of dried calluses showed highest contents of proline (110.94 mg/g), phenol (16.42 mg/g) and flavonoid (22.22 mg/g), and also highest antioxidant potential with FRAP and DPPH assays. From the present study, we may conclude that the MS basal medium supplemented with PGRs is effective for the commercial production of S. grandiflora.