GROWTH ACCELERATION AND GALANTHAMINE CONTENT OF HIPPEASTRUM PAPILIO PLANTS GROWN ON HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS

Hippeastrum papilio (Ravenna) Van Scheepen (Amaryllidaceae) is an endangered endemic species from the rainforests of Brazil. It is not only an attractive ornamental plant, but the species with the highest content of the valuable alkaloid galanthamin & iecy; used for treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The rapid propagation of the plants is crucial for biomass production as an alternative plant raw material for industrial galanthamine extraction. The aim of the present study was to accelerate the growth of H. papilio bulbs using two different hydroponic systems and to evaluate their effectiveness, as well as to determine the galanthamine content in the leaves. Differences in seedlings' growth on Flood & Drain hydroponic system, on Cutting board hydroponic system, and in soil substrate as a control were significant (P<0.001, Anova single factor). Best results were obtained on the Cutting board hydroponic system where plant weight increased an average of 59.1 +/- 24.0 times while the lowest growth was in the control, with an average weight increase of 11.1 +/- 4.7 times. One month after adaptation of plants to soil substrate they were analysed by GC-MS. Galanthamine was the main alkaloid in the leaves of plants from all variants, and its content varied between 0.66% and 0.86%, which was commensurable with that of the native plants. Feasibility of soilless cultivation of in vitro propagated H. papilio bulblets was also proven.