Aloe vera (L) Burm gel and sagu flour as a solid support of culture medium for medicinal plants

The objective of this study was to analyze the behavior of Aloe vera gel and sagu flour (Maranta arundinacea L.) as solid supports of culture medium for medicinal plants. To this end, 2 experiments were made at the Tissue Culture Laboratory of “Dr. Juan Tomás Roig”. Experimental Station of Medicinal Plants. Each experiment corresponded to a specific species (Orthosiphon aristatus Blume y Artemisia absinthium L.), species that are highly demanded for their known medicinal properties. A completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 10 repetitions was used. The results showed that the total or partial substitution of the traditionally used agar with Aloe vera gel or sagu flour (Maranta arundinacea L.) is possible, having this way sustainable alternatives without affecting the appropriate conditions of the culture medium for the optimal growth and development of species of medicinal plants. A great economic benefit is also attained, since agar has to be imported and its price in the world market is high