Regeneration of medicinal plant paederia foetid a through direct organogenesis using nodal explants

Abstract

Abstract : Chinese fever vine (Paederia foetida L.), a valuable medicinal plant has been greatly utilized in therapeutic purposes throughout the world. Since conventional propagation techniques of P. foetida are very slow, inefficient and cannot cope with the increasing demand, in-vitro regeneration through tissue culture could be an alternative means of rapid propagation. Therefore, the efforts were made to develop a suitable protocol through direct organogenesis of P. foetida. After surface sterilization, the nodal explants were cultured in Murashigue and Skoog (MS) medium and MS medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of plant growth regulators. MS medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine; BAP (2.0 mg L'1) produced the maximum number of shoots; 4.40 ± 0.98 and 5.40± 1.12 after 15 and 30 days of culture respectively. The number of shoots gained by 15 days was found to be the highest; 1.20±0.80 at BAP (4.0 mg L*1) followed by 1.00±0.55 at BAP (2.0 mg L*1). Although the combination of BAP + Kinetin (2 mg L'1 +2 mg L1) showed the highest shoot growth (3.40 ± 1.08 cm) by 15 days, sole application of BAP (2.0 mg L'1) or Kn (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 mg L1) showed similar responses. BAP (2.0 mg L’1) showed the best responses for developing the highest number of leaves; 18.60 ± 2.42 and 29.20 ± 2.73 respectively after 15 and 30 days of culture. Similarly, development of the maximum number of leaves (10.60 ± 0.68) was reported by 15 days at BAP (2.0 mg L*1). Rooting was significantly induced in indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) supplemented to 1/2 strength MS medium as compared to control (only Vi strength MS medium). The best performance of rooting was observed by 0.5 mg L"1 IAA which produced average 4.33 roots per shoot after 21 days of culture. The regenerated plants showed similar morphology to the mother plants. Thus, a suitable protocol for successful multiplication of P. foetida in vitro was established using nodal explants. Keywords: Explant, regeneration, organogenesis. Introduction Chinese fever vine (Paederia foetida L.) belonging to the family Rubiaceae is widely distributed throughout the Asia. The plant has been greatly used as the potential source of traditional medicine specially in Asian sub-continent. It has been very ubiquitous that medicinal plants offer a great role across the varied cultures and civilizations throughout the world as a valuable and safe natural resource. Medicinal plants are being considered as the most important source of life saving drugs for the majority of world’s population (Kumar and Gupta, 2008).