Cryopreservation of Moricandia arvensis (L.) DC (Brassicaceae) cell suspensions: Beneficial effects of pluronic F-68

Cell suspension cultures of Moricandia arvensis, a photosynthetic C₃-C₄ intermediate within the Brassicaceae, were recovered from cryogenic storage. Post-thaw cell viability, determined by triphenyltetrazolium chloride reduction and cell re-growth, was influenced by composition of the cryoprotectant and, positively, by incorporation into the post-thaw medium of 0.01% (w/v) of the non-ionic surfactant, Pluronic F-68. The growth characteristics of re-established suspension cultures were similar to those of non-cryopreserved suspensions. Re-established suspensions also released viable protoplasts in yields comparable to the same non-cryopreserved cell suspensions.