(405) Regeneration of Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea muscipula Ellis) from Leaf Culture

Abstract

Dionaeamuscipula Ellis commonly known as Venus fly trap is an important carnivorous plant with medicinal importance. It contains certain secondary metabolites like naphthoquinones and is used in anti-aid and anti-cancer drugs and other medicines like Cornivora. Increasing interest and use as an ornamental and medicinal plant, and dietary supplement have put it in an endangered state. Development of in vitro techniques for the preservation of germplasm that is on the brink of extinction is highly demanded. A regeneration protocol for the multiplication and micropropagation of Dionaeamuscipla Ellis was established. In vitro regeneration potential of leaf explants in different concentrations and combinations of plant growth substances was investigated in this study. Seeds were grown and leaf disc explants were excised and cultured under aseptic conditions on nutritional medium containing half strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) mix with combinations of 1.0–20.0 μm BA, 2.5.0 μm IBA, 1.0–10.0 μm 2iP and 0.1–0.5μm TDZ. The cultures were kept in growth cabinet with cool white light (40–60 μmol·m-2·s-1) under 16-h photoperiod. Regeneration was recorded after 60 days with the intervals of 15 days based on the degree of shoot organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis. 1/2 MS + 0.1 TDZ appeared to be efficient for somatic embryogenesis and simple MS for direct shoot organogenesis. 1/2 MS combined with 2iP appeared to be efficient for regeneration either by direct shoot organogenesis or by somatic embryogenesis. Plants were rooted well in Cape Cundew medium. These investigations will aid in the development of a model system for clonal mass propagation and in vitro regeneration of Dionaeamuscipla Ellis.