Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on in vitro Morphogenesis in Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers Hook. F. & Thomson from Cultured Nodal Segments

Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers ex Hook F & Thoms (Family: Menispermaceae), commonly known as heart-leaved Moonseed plant in English and Giloy in Hindi, is one of the important National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB) listed medicinal plants. It is usually employed in conventional ayurvedic treatment. In present investigation, an efficient and reproducible plant regeneration system was developed through direct and indirect organogenesis from cultured nodal segments excised from one-year-old greenhouse-grown plant. An average 6-8 initiation days was recorded for callus initiation for inoculated nodal segments on MS medium supplemented with 3.0 mgl-1 2, 4-D with 100 percent callus induction competence with an average fresh weight of 12.00 g. Maximum shoot proliferation (98%), shoot numbers (5.16±0.13) with greater length (5.88±0.04 cm) and leaf numbers (6.16±0.13) were achieved on MS medium enriched with 1.5 mgl-1 BAP in combination with 2.0 mgl-1 Kn after 40 days of inoculation. During the shoot multiplication, leaching of phenolics was observed frequently and to evade this, two adjuvants viz., ascorbic acid and activated charcoal were employed. Addition of 100 mgl-1 ascorbic acid in combination with 5.0 gl-1 activated charcoal with optimized plant growth regulators to MS medium reduced phenol exudation ultimately leading to much healthier plant and decreased leaf defoliation. The highest (84%) response of root induction, number of roots (4.16±0.30) with higher root length (5.20±0.008 cm) was observed on half- strength MS medium augmented with 1.0 mgl-1 IBA after 45 days of transfer in rooting medium. Among diverse potting mixture combinations, maximum survival (85%) with maximum plant height (16.16±0.13cm) was attained in combination of cocopeat: vermiculite (1:1) under greenhouse conditions after five weeks of hardening. Plants after acclimatization survived well in nature. Although the traits were not scored quantitatively, regenerated plantlets appeared phenotypically normal and as its mother plants.