Micropropagation of Salacia macrosperma Wight - An Endemic Medicinal Plant of Western Ghats

Salacia macrosperma Wight. - a potent medicinal plant facing the verge of rare and endemic status in the Western Ghats region of southern India. The effective protocol has been standardized for callus induction and multiple shoot regeneration using leaf and nodal explants. The Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium fortified with various plant growth regulators like 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), Benzyl amino purine (BAP), Thidiazuron (TDZ), Indole acetic acid (IAA), Kinetin (Kn), Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and Indole butyric acid (IBA). The leaf explants produced more calli than nodal explants in MS medium supplemented with 2, 4-D and BAP in combination than individual hormones. Likewise, MS medium with 1.5 mg L-1of 2, 4-D, 2.5 mg L-1 of BAP and 1.5 mg L-1of TDZ along with 1% activated charcoal was apt for multiple shoot regeneration (93.33%) from nodal explants with slight embryogenic callus. Further, each developed plantlets were produced maximum rhizogenesis in liquid MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg L-1 of IAA. Furthermore, the cytological study of embryogenic callus revealed variations in callus cells such as multinucleate, multi-nucleolate, cytodifferentiation, chromosomal bridges were noticed, besides normal dividing stages. Further, by scanning electron micrograph (SEM) analysis of embryogenic callus different stages of morphogenic developmental features were recorded.