Encapsulation Technique and Chemical Analysis to Improve the Production of Mulberry (Morus alba) var. kanva2

Abstract

Encapsulation technology is a versatile technique widely applied in plant biotechnology for the conservation and propagation of plant material. In vitro preservation of the Mulberry (Morus alba) variety kanava 2 was evaluated using encapsulation techniques combined with slowgrowth storage. Shoot tips and nodal segments derived from in vitro cultures were encapsulated in calciumalginate
beads. An ion exchange process lasting 20 minutes was determined to be the most effective for forming wellstructured
beads. The encapsulated and nonencapsulated samples were stored at 4°C, either in darkness or light. After nine months of storage in cold, dark conditions, encapsulated shoot tips exhibited  the highest regrowth rate at 83.3%. Similarly, encapsulated nodal segments achieved a regrowth rate of 55.6% under identical conditions. Overall, the encapsulated samples demonstrated superior regrowth
potential compared to nonencapsulated samples following storage. Chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b content was determined. This study aimed to optimize the parameters for encapsulating shoot tips and nodal segments from in vitro cultures of selected Morus species using sodium alginate gel.