Title : Novel tissue culture combinatorial strategies for optimization of in vitro micropropagation of endangered plant species
Abstract:
With increased deforestation and indiscriminate exploitation of commercially valuable plant species, rapid extinction of various endangered valuable plant species became an alarming issue and a global challenge. One such crop which has great commercial value is Decalepis arayalpathra Venter, a species that bears lots of medicinal properties because of commercially valuable vanilla-like isomer 2-Hydroxy,4-methoxy benzaldehyde produced majorly in its root latex. In the present study, as part of testing the novel strategy, we have made an attempt to develop an in vitro tissue culture procedure for growing the root tissues of D. arayalpathra. Through a series of testing procedures, we have observed that a combinatorial approach of applying growth modulators thidiazuron and silver nitrate resulted in great stimulus for the growth of root tissues in D. arayalpathra.
This further resulted in the better production of the vanilla like 2H4MB secondary metabolite. The presence of this secondary metabolite in the root tissues originated from the shoot tips treated with AgNO3 is a major breakthrough of this research work. Apart from this, through various laboratory trials, we could optimize the root callus production in presence of 2,4-D (5mgL−1) and Kinetin (0.5mgL−1). For first time we have observed that 6-benzylaminopurine and naphthalene acetic acid have a hyper inducing effect on the production of 2H4MB at specified concentrations. This is the first of its kind of novel research studies which proves that a differential approach of various hormonal and inorganic chemical treatments like TDZ and AgNO3 would help to rejuvenate various critically endangered plant varieties such as D. arayalpathra and other plant varieties.
