MICROPROPAGATION OF MUNTINGIA CALABURA L. AND ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC FIDELITY OF IN VITRO RAISED PLANTS USING ISSR AND RAPD ANALYSIS

Muntingia calabura L. is a potent medicinal plant. Because of that several researchers reported phytochemical and pharmacological studies, but only minimal information is obtainable on tissue culture and genetic stability evaluation studies. Therefore, in the present investigation we attempted to establish a reliable direct and indirect regeneration study through leaf and node explants on MS medium containing cytokinins BAP and KN (0.5-3.0 mg l-1) in combination with auxins IAA and NAA (0.5 mg l-1). The breakage of bud and shoot initiation were noticed with the initiation of callus at lower concentrations of auxin alone at 0.5 mg l-1. 2,4-D was found to be good in callus induction from leaf and nodal explants. A problem of browning callus was prevented by regular subculturing of callus cultures. Leaf explants exhibited maximum number of shoots (32±0.88a) with shoot length (7.6±0.17a) and nodal explants obtained optimal number of shoots (26±0.88a) with shoot length (9.6±0.30a) on MS medium supplemented with BAP (2 mg l-1) and IAA (0.5 mg l-1). Half strength MS medium fortified with IBA (2.0 mg l-1) was effective and achieved 70% of rooting. These well-developed plantlets were shifted to pots containing soil and vermicompost in 1:1 ratio for acclimatization. The acclimatized plants were field transferred with survival rate of 85%. The ISSR and RAPD markers analysis revealed the genetic stability of in vitro regenerated plants with the mother plant.