University of Guelph

Sankaran Krishnaraj

Praveen K Saxena

Susan Murch

Michel R Perras

Tannis Y Slimmon

The development of an in vitro regeneration system that utilizes a plant growth regulator having cytokinin activity for the induction of de novo shoots or somatic embryos on explants of phytopharmaceutical plants is provided. Transfer of the regenerated shoots or somatic embryos into a solid or liquid medium with no plant growth regulators results in the rapid and prolific growth of viable plantlets. The method and its modifications are intended for application to all phytopharmaceutical plants, in particular St. John's wort (cv. Anthos), Huang-qin (),sp., Feverfew (), garlic (sp.) and the like. Furthermore, a process for the uptake of nutrients, minerals or additives from the growth medium and accumulation of these in the consumable biomass of plants, hereafter referred to as phytofortification, is also described. This process provides additives within a bioavailable form within plants and renders nutrients and additives amenable for easy assimilation by the human of livestock digestive systems.

Micropropagation and production of phytopharmaceutical plants

A process for effectively remediating soils contaminated with individual or mixture of metal ions is described. The process involves utilizing plants of the genus Pelargonium, particularly Pelargonium sp., to hyperaccumulate metal ions in their roots and shoots. These plants when grown on soils, which contain one or more of the metal ions, individually or in a complex mixture, will uptake the metal ions through their roots and translocate them to the shoots. This process thereby removes the metal ions from the soil. The harvested shoot and root biomass can be used for extraction of essential aromatic oils, and the residual oil-extracted biomass will be available for extraction and recycling of the metals. The process also describes the use of the above said plant(s) for remediating land-farming sites of petroleum industries, which are generally contaminated with a mixture of metal ions and organic contaminants. The plant surpasses all the requirements of an ideal hyperaccumulator such as, robust growth habit, large shoot biomass (primarily leaves), effective root system, ability to survive and uptake of a wide array of metal ions, ability to retain senescing plant parts, in addition to potential economic returns in the form of essential aromatic oils from harvestable biomass.

Growing community of inventors

Guelph, Canada

Sankaran Krishnaraj