IN VITRO SPECTRAL INFLUENCE OF LIGHT EMITTING DIODES (LEDS) ON THE MORPHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND BIOCHEMICAL PROFILES OF CELASTRUS PANICULATUS WILLD

Abstract

Celastrus paniculatus Willd. is a high-value, threatened medicinal plant prized for its unique neuroprotective and antioxidant properties. Due to intensive overexploitation and poor natural seed germination, establishing highly efficient micropropagation systems is vital for its long-term conservation and commercial application. This study evaluated the chronic effects (120 days) of different narrow-bandwidth Light Emitting Diode (LED) spectra—White, Yellow, Red, and Blue—on the growth mechanics and biochemical attributes of C. paniculatus cultures. Explants were maintained on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium under identical climate parameters. Long-term exposure revealed a profound spectral dependency on morphogenetic pathways.

Blue LED light promoted peak vertical axial development, maximizing shoot elongation 6.2cm and root network development 2.5mm. Conversely, Yellow LED light accelerated biomass accumulation, yielding the highest absolute fresh weight 5.5g per 10 shoots and a multi-fold surge in total soluble proteins 0.609mg/FW. Notably, Yellow LED also exhibited superior retention of Chlorophyll a 3.81mg/50mg FW and total chlorophyll over 120 days compared to traditional monochromatic Red or Blue setups, which displayed marked pigment degradation ("Red light syndrome"). These results provide concrete empirical insights for developing optimized, multi-staged spectral lighting protocols for large-scale micropropagation and secondary metabolite cultivation of C. paniculatus.