Rapid micropropagation of Androgrphis paniculata nees, from nodal explants to study effect of various plant growth regulators

Andrographis paniculata Nees, commonly called as ‘Kalmegh’ or ‘Chiraita’ is frequently used in traditional medicine. Due to extensive wild collection and lack of awareness for the conservation of medicinal plants, many medicinal plants of Chhattisgarh are falling under the category of endangered species. There is an urgent need for the conservation and commercial production of rare and medicinally important plants. The present work is to develop an efficient protocol for the rapid micropropogation of Andrographis paniculata from the nodal segments, with various plant growth regulators. When MS was medium supplemented with BAP, shoot/explants and bud break percentage at concentration of 1.5 mg/l of BAP was found to be 22.25 ± 2.99 and 91.75 ± 3.94 respectively. At 0.5 mg/l concentration of BAPaverage shoot length, nodes/shoot and leaves/shoot was observed to be 1.875 ± 0.25, 3.25 ± 0.95 and 6.50 ± 1.91 respectively. When MS medium was fortified with Kinetin, at concentration of 2.0 mg/l, shoot/explants and bud break percentage was 25 ± 6.25 and 72.25 ± 9.10 respectively. Similarly, average shoot length nodes/shoot and leaves/shoot at concentration 0.5 mg/l of Kinetin were 1.56 ± 2.49, 2.25 ± 0.95 and 4.5 ± 1.91 respectively. Effect of BAP in combination with Kinetin was further studied. The concentration of BAP was fixed at 1.0 mg/l with various concentration levels of Kinetin. 94.75 ± 2.21 was found to be the bud break percentage both at BAP 1.0 mg/l + Kn 2.0 mg/l and BAP 1.0 mg/l + 2.5 mg/l Kn. Shoot/explants, average shoot length, nodes/shoots and leaves/shoots was found to be 31.50 ± 2.64, 4.37 ± 0.40, 5.75 ± 0.50 and 11.50 ± 1.00 respectively. Among all the growth regulators tested BAP in combination with Kinetin gave best results at concentration of 1.0 mg/l BAPand.05 mg/l of Kinetin.