IN VITRO PLANT REGENERATION OF BOSWELLIA SERRATA ROXB

Abstract

B. serrata is a woody medicinal aromatic tree species. It is one of the most important gum and gumresin yielding forest tree species in the world. Gum-resin is used in calico-printing and textile industry, in the manufacture of agarbattis for worship or in social ceremonies, and perfume. In recent years, gumresin of B. serrata has found out an important use in pharmaceutical formulations for relieving pains and aches:, particularly associated with arthritis, and for treatment of other diseases such as leukemia, rheumatism, ulcers, tumours, diarrhoea and dysentery, and skin diseases. Protocol for in vitro plant regeneration of exotic B. serrata has been developed using leaf, petiole, apical shoot and nodal explants of 5 month old seedlings growing in the green house. Leaf and petiole explants were surface-sterilised and cultured on MS (1962) medium supplemented 0.02 mgll TDZ, 0.05 mgll NAA, 3% sucrose, 2.5 gil phytagel for callus induction and proliferation and shoot regeneration. Calli were induced from 84.29% of petiole explant and 76.5% of leaf explant after 4 weeks of culture. Average of 1.1 shoots and 0.54 shoot were developed per petiole and leaf explant after 20 weeks of culture, respectively. Most of regenerated shoots were hyperhydric. They were inoculated in Petri dishes containing MS/2 medium, 1.5% sucrose for more growth shoots. Non-hyperhydric shoots with frequency of 84.84% were obtained by shoot subculture on culture bottles containing MS/2 medium, 1.5% sucrose after 6 weeks of inoculation. Apical shoots and nodal explant were surface-sterilised and cultured on MS (1962) medium supplemented 0.5 mgll BAP, 0.1 mgll NAA, 3% sucrose, and 5.5 gil agargel for shoot proliferation. Shoot multiplication rate reachs 4.38 fold after 4 weeks of culture. 62 % of regenerated shoots were rooted after 4 weeks of culture on MS/4 medium supplemented 0.5 mgll IBA and 0.25 mgll IAA, 1% sucrose, 5.5 gil .garge!. All cultures were maintained in the RUMED chamber at 32"C, 1200 lux, 14 h light: 8 h dark. Whole plants were transferred to greenhouse with survival rate of 68% after 8 weeks.