Abstract:
A protocol was designed for plant regeneration of Iphiona mucronata
from embryogenic callus via somatic embryogenesis to enable micro
propagation of this endangered plant. The embryogenic callus was induced
using seedling cultured for nine months on Murashig and Skoog medium
(MS) supplemented with 0.1 mg l-1 naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), 0.1 mg l1 kinetin (Kn) and 5 mg l-1 ascorbic acid and incubated in the dark followed
by growing on hormone free medium. Transfer of developed embryos to MS
medium supplemented with 0.5 mg l-1 kinetin induced shoot formation. Four
treatments were further tried for plant development by using indole acetic
acid (IAA) or indole butyric acid (IBA) alone or in combination with kinetin.
The results showed that 2 mg l-1 IAA was the best for in vitro plantlet
regeneration. Embryogenic suspension was induced by transfer of
embryogenic callus to liquid medium having the same composition followed
by hormone free medium where different stages of embryos were monitored.
Shoots were developed upon transfer to liquid medium supplemented with
0.5 mg l-1 Kn. However, no further development appeared upon transfer to
semi solid medium containing different phytohormones. Embryogenic callus
showed the highest phenolic contents when compared with embryogenic
suspension, regenerated plantlets and the parent plant while flavonoids were
detected only in embryogenic callus.
