ARCHIVES
VOL. 11, ISSUE 2 (2026)
In vitro seed germination and phytochemical profiling of Dendrobium farmeri Paxton, an epiphytic orchid of Bangladesh
Authors
Momena Khanam Mumu, Marzia Akter Sumi, Tapash Kumar Bhowmik
Abstract
Dendrobium farmeri
Paxton is an epiphytic, medicinally significant, and endangered orchid species
native to the tropical forests of Bangladesh. The natural propagation of this
species is severely constrained due to its minute, endosperm-less seeds that
require specific mycorrhizal fungal associations for germination. Furthermore,
indiscriminate wild harvesting for its therapeutic secondary metabolites has
critically depleted its natural populations. This study was undertaken to
establish an efficient in vitro asymbiotic seed germination protocol for
D. farmeri and to conduct a comparative qualitative phytochemical
screening between naturally grown plant parts and in vitro derived
plantlets. Seed germination efficiency were evaluated across four basal
nutrient media: Murashige and Skoog (MS), Knudson C (KC), Phytamax (PM) and
Modified Vacin and Went (MVW). The highest seed germination rate of 83.34% was
achieved on MS medium produced healthy greenish PLBs. Conversely, KC medium
exhibited the lowest germination efficiency at 41.67%. Subsequent phytochemical
investigations the presence of alkaloids and eleven other secondary
metabolites. Spot tests revealed that naturally grown pseudobulbs and leaves
possessed robust concentrations of alkaloids, terpenoids, tannins and phenols.
Crucially, the in vitro derived plantlets successfully retained
substantial quantities of key therapeutic metabolites, notably alkaloids,
terpenoids and quinine, while lacking anthraquinones mirroring the chemical
profile of wild counterparts. These findings validate in vitro
propagation not only as an essential conservation strategy for endangered
epiphytic orchids but also as a highly viable, sustainable alternative for the
continuous commercial production of valuable phytochemicals, reducing
ecological pressure on wild D. farmeri populations.
Download
Pages:91-96
How to cite this article:
Momena Khanam Mumu, Marzia Akter Sumi, Tapash Kumar Bhowmik "<i>In vitro</i> seed germination and phytochemical profiling of <i>Dendrobium farmeri</i> Paxton, an epiphytic orchid of Bangladesh". International Journal of Advanced Scientific Research, Vol 11, Issue 2, 2026, Pages 91-96
Download Author Certificate
Please enter the email address corresponding to this article submission to download your certificate.