In vitro Regeneration of a Rare Antidiabetic Plant Epaltes divaricata L.

This study was conducted to develop an efficient protocol for in vitro direct and indirect regeneration of Epaltes divaricata L. MS (Murashige and Skoog) medium was supplemented with different growth hormones both individually and in combinations. MS medium containing BAP (1.0 mg/L) and TDZ (0.1 mg/L) in combination proved to be most effective in inducing maximum callus with multiple shoot formation using shoot tip from the explants producing maximum of 10.77±0.4 shootlets / explants with mean length of 4.30±0.3 cm from leaf explants. Regenerated multiple shoot induction using nodal explants supplemented BAP (1.0 mg/l) with NAA (0.1 mg/L) produced 1.86±1.05 average number of shoots / explants, with mean length of shoots 3.00±0.64 cm whereas BAP (1.0 mg/L) with KN (0.1 mg/L) produced 4.16±0.36 average number of shoots with mean length of shoot 3.08±0.33 cm. The leaf explants produced good callus in the combination of growth regulator BAP (0.5 mg/L) and NAA (0.1 mg/L) 80% response and number of shoot per callus is 3.38 ± 0.21. In vitro rooting of micro propagated shoot response in MS media with IBA (0.1 mg/L) producing more roots (13.31±0.24 numbers) with root length 7.16±0.51 cm followed by NAA (0.1 mg/L) producing 8.21±0.26 numbers with root length 5.22±0.41 cm. Regenerated of Epaltes divaricata L. plantlets were hardened in organic manure with sand showed acclimatization percentage is 73.33 % after 2 months in the field.