Direct regeneration of plantlets from shoot tip explants of a vulnerable medicinal plant Celastrus paniculatus Willd.

Abstract

A study was undertaken to develop a rapid efficient direct propagation protocol of Celastrus paniculatus Willd, a medicinal vulnerable plant. Half strength Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with GA3 showed maximum percentage (82.4 ± 0.50) embryo response through embryo rescue method. Shoot tip explants were transferred from cotyledonary node and inoculated to shoot induction medium supplemented with cytokinins (BAP, TDZ and Kin) and highest response (87 ± 0.70) with 3.8 shoot number was achieved in BAP 1.0 mg L-1. Shoot multiplication was achieved with combination of BAP (1 mg L-1) with meta-Topolin (1 mg L-1) which showed highest response (91.0 ± 1.10) with 10.2 shoots within 10 days after inoculation. The in vitro regenerated shoots were transferred carefully to the half strength and full-strength MS medium supplemented with GA3 (0.1 to 0.5 mg L -1) for elongation. The in vitro elongated shoots were treated with different auxins (IAA, IBA and NAA) individually for early rooting and treated shoots were transferred to the half strength MS medium. At 0.3 mg L-1 IBA concentration, 91 % rooting was observed. The regenerated plantlets were acclimatized in pots containing sterilized soil and sand with 3:1 ratio and plantlets were then transferred to the field conditions. Ninty percent of the regenerants survived well. The result of this study revealed the pioneer report on in vitro plant regeneration of C. paniculatus. by using shoot tip explants.