biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 51:769-772, 2007 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-007-0157-y

In vitro propagation of Ophiorrhiza prostrata through somatic embryogenesis

K. P. Martin^1,*, A. Shahanaz Beegum², C.-L. Zhang³, A. Slater³, P. V. Madhusoodanan²

¹ Department of Biotechnology, University of Calicut, Kerala, India

² Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Kerala, India

³ Norman Borlaug Institute for Plant Science Research, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK

In vitro propagation of an anticancerous drug synthesizing plant, Ophiorrhiza prostrata D. Don, was established through indirect somatic embryogenesis. Friable embryogenic calluses were initiated from O. prostrata leaf and internode explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) either alone or in combination with N⁶-benzyladenine (BA) or kinetin (KIN). Somatic embryos were developed after subculture of the friable calluses onto half strength MS media containing 0.45 or 2.26 µM 2,4-D alone or in combination with BA or KIN. Medium supplemented with 2.26 µM 2,4-D and 2.22 µM BA was optimal, supporting the production of a mean of 5.8 globular embryos. Subculture of globular embryo-bearing calluses on half strength MS medium without growth regulators produced the highest embryo frequency, and the majority of them developing to early torpedo stage. Somatic embryos underwent maturation and converted to plantlets at high frequency (90 %) on half strength MS medium supplemented with 0.44 µM BA. Somatic embryo-derived plantlets with well-developed roots were established in field conditions with a 90 % survival rate.

Keywords: auxins; camptothecin-synthesizing plant; cytokinins; embryogenic callus; plantlets

Subjects: auxins; camptothecin; cytokinins; in vitro culture, callus growth and duration; nutrient medium, Murashige and Skoog (MS); Ophiorrhiza prostrata; somatic embryogenesis

Received: October 4, 2005; Accepted: July 20, 2006; Published: December 1, 2007Show citation