In-vitro Regeneration from Direct and Indirect Organogenesis of Crescentia alata Kunth an Important Multipurpose Medicinal Tree

In this present work, an in-vitro regeneration protocol for Crescentia alata (C. alata) was developed using various explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium augmented with different concentrations and combinations of plant growth regulators (PGRs) for direct and indirect regeneration. The direct organogenesis was established from nodes and internodes on MS medium supplemented with cytokinins and auxins. The indirect organogenesis via callus phase was obtained from leaf, nodes and internodes on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of PGRs. The high frequency shoot organogenesis were achieved directly from nodal explants were cultured on MS medium supplemented with 3.0 mg/L BAP+0.5 mg/L KIN +1.0 mg/L NAA. Indirect organogenesis callogenic frequency was optimized at the concentration of MS medium containing 1.0 mg/L BAP + 5.0 mg/L IAA. The callus was obtained from all the explants were used, among these explants internodal explants gave best result on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of cytokinins and auxins for indirect organogenesis experiment. Indirect organogenesis the highest number of shoot regeneration was obtained in MS Basal Medium with 4.0 mg/L BAP + 0.5 mg/L KIN + 2.0 mg/L NAA from internodal explants. For root formation the regenerative shoots which were sub cultured on MS medium containing different ratios of auxins. The rooted plantlets were transferred successfully to the pots containing sterilized soil and were successfully hardened at greenhouse condition for 20 days then exposed to the natural environment. This is the first successful micropropagation report of an efficient and rapid in-vitro clonal propagation protocol for C. alata by direct and indirect shoot organogenesis through various explants, which can be employed for conservation of this important medicinal tree species as well as the utilization of an biologically important active biomolecules. This protocol can be very useful to obtain plants from various explants, without the requirement of meristematic regions, enabling the obtainment of a higher number of plants in short period.