PLANT CELL BIOTECHNOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Bacopa monnieri L .Penn. is being used in Indian system of medicine for curing snakebites, eczema, ulceration, leprosy, epilepsy and chronic rheumatism. In vitro multiplication using axillary buds for micropropagation and conservation of this endangered medicinal plant has been exploited. In this study we report that modified MS basal medium containing 0.02 �M of Thiadiazuron and MS basal medium having BAP (2.0 mg/l) + NAA (0.05mg/l) gives highest shoot proliferation (97.5%) and average number of shoots (13.5) per axillary bud explant .After 3 cycles of multiplication and surgical separation the shoots were rooted in 1/4MS basal liquid medium containing NAA (3.0mg/l). For reduction of cost sucrose in the medium was substituted with table sugar and agar with isabgol without having any deleterious effect on multiplication. The in vitro regenerated plantlets were transferred to Sand: Soil: Fym (1: 1: 1) mixture with 96% survival in greenhouse. One month old greenhouse hardened plantlets were field transferred with 98% survival rate. Molecular analysis using RAPD showed no significant variation among field grown and in vitro regenerated plants. Biochemical studies for bacoside A and bacoside B content of in vitro generated plantlets is underway. The results indicate that the protocol can successfully be used for commercial multiplication of the plant species.