In vitro Regeneration of an endangered medicinal Plant, Ophiorrhiza mungos L

Abstract

Camptothecine (CPT), monoterpene indole alksloid, is a potent inhibitor of eukaryotic DNA topoisomerase-I. CPT and its derivatives are being used in different treatments of several cancers. We have proved that biotechnological potential of Ophiorrhiza mungos for mass multiplication from in vitro grown plants an efficient protocol for the regeneration of endangered O. mungos plants using nodal explants. The nodal explants were inoculated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium fortified with different concentrations of plant growth regulator N6-benzyladenine (BA). The results revealed that the maximum number of shoots (20.06) with 100 % regeneration frequency from nodal explants obtained in MS medium fortified with 2mg/l BA within eight weeks. The present findings indicate that O. mungos respond favourably for in vitro propagation and these in vitro regenerated flowering plants of O. mungos can be used for over expression of key genes involved in regulating terpenoid indole alkaloid (CPT) biosynthesis.