In vitro culture and plant regeneration from nodal explants of Verbesina encelioides (Cav.) Benth & Hook

A protocol for complete regeneration of Verbesina enceloides, a medicinally important plant, was accomplished through in vitro culturing. The nodal segments excised from aseptically grown seven day old seedlings were employed for multiple shoot induction using BAP in combination with mesoinositol. Different phytohormonal concentrations were tried but maximum percentage of response was elicited in 3 mg L⁻¹ of BAP. From nodal segments explants, high percentage of multiple shoot formation was induced between Jan to June on MS medium supplemented with BAP (3 mg L⁻¹). In vitro regeneration seemed to be more successful by axillary bud regeneration than by indirect organogenesis. As such shoot regeneration from axillary buds was obtained on MS media with low levels of BAP as well though higher concentration (3 mg L⁻¹) in media supplemented with mesoinositol gave efficient shooting. Chlorophyll contents varied between tissue cultured plants (TC) and field grown (FG) plants markedly. The TC plants exhibited higher contents of chlorophyll pigments especially chlorophyll a. Rooting of the excised shoots from secondary cultures was excellent on half-strength MS medium having 1 mg L⁻¹ IBA. Micro propagated rooted plants were transplanted on garden soil for further evaluation. The survival percentage was nearly 65%.