Abstract
A protocol has been developed for rapid large scale clonal propagation of an aromatic endangered medicinal plant, Hemidesmus indicus R. Br. with the elimination of the problems such as premature leaf fall and callus formation during caulogenesis and rhizogenesis. Multiple shoots were induced from shoot tip and nodal explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 1 mg/L Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.5 mg/L Napthaleneaceticacid (NAA). Addition of 15 mg/L adenine sulphate to the above medium checked leaf abscission completely, reduced the time required for caulogenesis and restored morphogenetic potential after several subcultures. The in vitro grown propagules were rooted in 1/2 MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/L Indolebutyric acid (IBA) +1 mg/L NAA and sucrose 0.7% (w/v). Addition of charcoal at 100 mg/L to the rooting medium quickened root initiation with a complete check on callus formation. The effect of sucrose concentration on both caulogenesis and rhizogenesis was also studied. The resultant plantlets were acclimatized and grown in fields where ninety eight percent of the rooted shoots survived and grew normally. The estimation of the secondary metabolite content in the shoots of the regenerated plant and the mother plant indicated that the concentration of the three secondary metabolites lupeol, vanillin and rutin was similar.