The Elephantopus scaber plant were contain secondary metabolites such as The flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, terpenes, triterpenoids, sesquiterpenes lactones, elephantopyns, and deoxyelephantopin, acts as antimicrobia, antifungal, and bioinsecticides. The Elephantopus scaber potencially grown by tissue culture method and isolated its secondary compound. But, the existence of their tricomes at stem, leaf midrib, or leaves of  Elephantopus scaber, become an obstacles to propagated those through in vitro, because of their contaminated agents as fungal and bacteria. To avoid the contamination was used the seeds as an explant source. The aim of this study was to described the use of seeds act as an alternative explant source of  Elephantopus scaber in various culture growth medium and to determined the right medium for Elephantopus scaber’s callus induction.

 

The research descriptively described using four growth media: 1) MSO medium (media without Plant Growth Factor, 2) MSC medium (MS medium with charcoal added), 3)MS + BAP 0,5 mg/L and 2,4 D 1 mg/L and 4) MS + Kinetin 1,5 mg/L and 2,4 D 1,5 mg/L. There were 20 bottles media for experiment with five seeds explant every bottle of medium, so all the experiment would be planted 100 seeds. The propagation research stage were sterilization of mature seeds, making and sterilization of growth media, and inoculation of seeds. The observation of callus induction had done for four weeks. The parameter of these research was appear the callus induction of Elephantopus scaber’s seeds.

 

The result of this researh (table 1) showed that 5 bottles of media occuring the growth of explant, 7 seeds planted as seedlings, and 15 bottles of media with no respons of growth. MSC medium showed that all the media (20 bottles) were produced seedlings and explant. There were callus induction on MS + BAP 0,5 mg/L dan 2,4 D 1 mg/L about 82 calli from 20 bottles of media, and 17 bottles of MS + Kinetin 1,5 mg/L dan 2,4 D 1,5 mg/L were produced 48 calli and 3 bottles were produced seedlings. The results showed that using Elephantopus scaber’s seeds as an explant would be reduce the microbia contamination because of the involvement of tricomes on the leaves during callus induction. The result of observation in 4 weeks was described on table 1.

 

Table 1. The amount of callus induction from seeds on 4 weeks.

The treatment

Amount of calli

Amount of seedlings

The other information

 

 

 

 

MSO medium (MS with no PGR)

0

7 seedlings

The others seeds did not show progress

MSC medium (MS medium + charcoal)

0

100 seedlings/explants

The others seeds did not become callus

MS + BAP 0,5 mg/L + 2,4 D 1 mg/L

82 calli

0

The others seeds did not show progress and contaminated

MS + Kinetin 1,5 mg/L + 2,4 D 1,5 mg/L

48 calli

10 seedlings/explant

The others seeds did not show progress

*PGR : plant growth regulator

According to this research could be conclute that Elephantopus scaber’s seed effectively used as an explant of callus induction through in vitro propagation. The right medium for callus induction of Elephantopus scaber’s seed was MS + BAP 0,5 mg/L dan 2,4 D 1 mg/L. These findings provide a recomendation for callus induction using the seeds for the plants with many tricomes on their leaves as Elephantopus scaber.