In Vitro Clonal Propagation and Medium Term Conservation of Brahmi [Bacopa monnieri (L) Wettst]

A protocol has been developed for in vitro clonal propagation leading to conservation of Bacopa monnieri (L) Wettst, a medicinal plant of high commercial potential with legendary reputation as a memory vitalizer. Single node explants when cultured on Murashige and Skoog's medium supplemented with BA (0.2 mg l⁻¹), showed active shoot proliferation (22.2 shoots/explant in 8 weeks) without callus formation. Rooting was achieved on the same medium. The generated shoots could also be conserved for 12 months with high survival rate (up to 100%). The regenerants upon transfer to soil showed no morphological variation as compared with the donor plants. The medium optimized in the present study was applied for culture establishment and conservation of a total of 15 Brahmi accessions procured from different regions.