A study on effects of antioxidants in micropropagation of Bael (Aegle marmelos L.)

Abstract

Bael (Aegle marmelos L.) is a rare endangered medicinal plant, requires rapid mass multiplication and germplasm conservation as it has slow growth and expensive cultivation in nature. Multiplication through in vitro technique has problems of culture media browning which delimits its pace of micropropagation. Present investigation was carried out to study effect of different antioxidants on shoot proliferation and callus induction. Antioxidants viz: activated charcoal, ascorbic acid, citric acid and polyvinylpyrollidone were used to control the accumulation of phenolic compounds in the MS medium and enhance the rate of micropropagation were worked out at most responsive level of plant growth regulators. Supplementation of activated charcoal at concentration of 200 mg/l in the MS medium appeared most optimum level for maximum shoot bud proliferation in nodal segment explants followed by 150 mg/l level of activated charcoal. Maximum callus proliferation in leaf explant was observed using polyvinylpyrrolidone at the rate of 6.0 mg/l followed by at 8.0 mg/l polyvinylpyrrolidone with low intensity of browning in the medium. Further, these optimum levels of antioxidants may be utilized in culture media to enhance growth for mass multiplication of Bael.