In- Vitro Conservation of Some Endangered Plant Species of India

Abstract

Procedures for in-vitro multiplication and short-term conservation of 3
endangered medicinal plants, viz., Saussurea lappa. Picrorhiza kurroa and
Podophyllum hexandrum are reported. While first two species were multiplied
via shoot multiplication, the third species was multiplied via both shoot
multiplication and somatic embryogenesis. On MS + RAP (5 X 10-6 M)
+ GA3 (3 X 10- 6 M) shoots of S. lappa proliferated at a rate of 3.5 fold
every 3 weeks and 90 per cent cultures of these shoots rooted in MS + NAA
(5 X 10-7 M). P. kurroa multiplied 36-fold every 30 days on MS + RAP
(1 X 10-6 M). Similarly, shoots ofP. hexandrum muliplied 8-fold in 4
weeks on MS + RAP (2 X 10-6 M). The cal/us derived from zygotic
embryos of P. hexandrum on MS + RAP (2 X 10-6 M) + fAA (5 X
10-7 M) differentiated globular embryos. Further development of these
embryos occurred on MS + NAA and the somatic embros germinated on
MS with or without growth regulators.