Comparative Analysis of Antibiotics in Enhancing Shoot Induction and Reducing Contamination in Musa paradisiaca ‘Tanduk’ Culture

Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut Campus, 22200, Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia.

^* Corresponding author: ddalila@unisza.edu.my

Abstract

Musa paradisiaca ‘Tanduk’, a tropical fruit crop, can be propagated via micropropagation to generate a substantial number of seedlings. Nevertheless, bacterial contamination remains a major hurdle, disrupting metabolic function and limiting culture growth. The optimal antibiotics and concentrations remain uncertain. This study identified different antibiotics and their optimal concentrations to reduce bacterial contamination while promoting shoot and root growth in banana cultures. Sterilised suckers were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 2 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid and 6-benzylaminopurine and treated with ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and gentamicin at concentrations of 50 mg/L, 100 mg/L, and 150 mg/L. Data were recorded weekly over four weeks. The results demonstrated that chloramphenicol (50 mg/L and 100 mg/L) and ampicillin (150 mg/L) significantly reduced contamination rates (40%), while a combined treatment of chloramphenicol (150 mg/L) and gentamicin (50 mg/L) effectively suppressed bacterial growth at about 7%. Notably, ampicillin at 150 mg/L also promoted the highest shoot induction rate (8.9%). These findings provide valuable insights for enhancing banana micropropagation by controlling contamination without compromising plant growth.