Dedifferentiation of leaf cells and growth of friable calluses of capsicum annuum cv. all big

The genus Capsicum belongs to the Solanaceae botanical family and is notable for the production of secondary metabolites of medicinal and economical importance. In vitro methods have been successfully utilized for the large scale production of plant secondary metabolites. The objective of this study was to establish a protocol for dedifferentiation of leaf cells of the cultivar C. annuumL. cv. All Bigand to determine the growth pattern of the calluses with a focus on the deceleration phase, when the callus cells must be subcultured into a liquid medium in order to establish cell suspension cultivations aiming at the production of secondary metabolites. The explants were inoculated into a medium supplemented with BA and 2,4-D in factorial combinations. The percentage of callus induction (%CI), the explant area covered by callus cells (ACCC) and the weight of the calluses were evaluated. The procedures that resulted in higher proliferation of callus cells were repeated in order to determine the growth curve of the calluses. The highest %CI, ACCC andweight were observed with 4.52 µM 2,4-D + 0.44 µM BA. The calluses produced were friable and whitish, and their growth pattern followed a sigmoid shape. The deceleration phase started on the 22nd day of cultivation.