Cytoand histochemical studies of the lichen Evernia prunastri (D.) Ach. of the Asteraceae family in vitro culture

Abstract

The most demanded raw material among lichens for perfumery, cosmetic, essential oil and pharmaceutical industries are dried thalli of Evernia prunastri . Populations of this species in Crimea are limited, and harvests of this plant significantly reduce natural resources. Biotechnology methods can solve the problem of year-round supply of raw materials for technological processes, as well as the preservation of natural reserves of E. prunastri in nature. Therefore, it is relevant to develop lichen technologies under controlled conditions, which make it possible to intensify the processes of accumulation of biomass and biologically active compounds in it produced by phyco- and mycobionts. In the process of in vitro cultivation, morphological, cyto- and histochemical analysis of cells and tissues of E. prunastri lichen was carried out: Comparative morphometric characteristics of mycobiont and phycobiont cells in vitro and the initial material were given. The accumulation and localization of: mucus, phenolic compounds, starch and glycogen, lipids and essential oils has been studied. It has been shown that the accumulation of reserve polysaccharides during the development of a lichen: starch and glycogen, as well as other nutrients, such as lipids, and substances of secondary synthesis, in particular, essential oil, is associated with an intensive increase in the biomass of lichen. However, the high content of mucus and phenolic compounds in cells does not promote active growth and indicates aging of culture cells. It was revealed that the qualitative composition of the alcoholic extract of lichen grown in culture corresponds to the composition of natural lichen. This information obtained can be used in the development of biotechnology for the cultivation of E. prunastri and its bionts.