Bacopa monnieri L. (highly endangered species): an improved micropropagation protocol for germplasm preservation
1Renu Sharma and Moinuddin Khan
Biotechnology Lab, School of Life Science, Singhaniya University, Rajasthan (India)
ABSTRACT
Bacopa monnieri has been used in ayurvedic system of medicine for centuries. It is great neurotonic, immuno-modulator, adaptogen, tranquilizing, memory and learning enhancing, cerebral activator, anti-ulcer, anti-asthmatic ayurvedic herb. Thus the micropropagation of this plant is very necessary to maintain the commercial demand and to preserve the germplasm of this endangered plant. The objective of this study is to determine the easy and cost effective micropropagation protocol. Direct shoot regeneration was obtained on MS basal medium supplemented with different PGRs. Highest no. of microshoots (128) produced on BAP (0.1 mg/l) using leaf explant which had been previously inoculated on BAP (2.0 mg/l) i.e. shoot initiation medium. However nodal segment gave 88.2 shoots on BAP (0.5 mg/l), longer shoots (13.0cm) obtained on BAP (1.0 mg/l) + Kn (0.5 mg/l) using leaf explants. Best response in in vitro rooting (13.1) achieved on MS ½ + IBA (1.5 mg/l) and longest roots (6.4) occurred on MS ½ + NAA (1.0 mg/ l). Rooted plantlets after acclimatization were transferred to green-house conditions they show 100% survival rates.