Effects of Gradient Concentration of Colchicine on Bentong Ginger Callus for Polyploidy Induction

Lee, Jie Song (2025) Effects of Gradient Concentration of Colchicine on Bentong Ginger Callus for Polyploidy Induction. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

Polyploidy is a condition where a living organism has more than 2 sets of chromosomes, and this process can be induced in plant tissue culture. It is a common trait among plants and it can be induced in diploid plants to discover and unlock more genetic potential that a polyploidy plant can otherwise provide. For example, polyploidy induction is commonly performed to enhance desirable traits such as fruit size and colour, improve tolerance towards environmental stresses, and explore genetic diversity. The target for this experiment is to induce polyploidy in the callus of Zingiber officinale var. Bentong, a ginger variety from Malaysia known for its medicinal properties and exceptional flavour. It plays an important role in Malaysia’s economy and therefore is a great subject for polyploidization research. In this experiment, Zingiber officinale var. Bentong are first cultured using buds explants on MS medium with optimal 2,4-D concentration for callus induction. Later, explants with callus are selected and undergo polyploidization induction using colchicine as a mutagen. The callus were immersed for 12 hours in varying concentrations of colchicine and were later transplanted on MS media with roots and shoots inducing hormones. Their growth and morphological changes are then observed and recorded regularly to study the effects of colchicine treatment on the callus. In addition, comparison between different concentrations of colchicine treatment is also done to find the lethal dose of colchicine towards Zingiber officinale var. Bentong specifically. Doing so will allow optimization of future research as colchicine is toxic to plants in higher concentrations. According to the results, all colchicine concentrations (0.1%, 0.25% ,0.5%) have shown stunted growth when compared to the control group. Observations showed treated callus developing roots at a slower rate compared to untreated callus in the roots induction medium. Other than that, darkening of callus (death) can also be observed in higher concentrations which are 0.25% and 0.5% of colchicine treatments. It is suspected that concentration of colchicine plays a bigger role in induction rate while the time of induction affects the survival rate of explants more. These data can be used to better optimize the polyploidization process in ginger callus and increase the survival rate of explants after colchicine treatments in future experiments.