A Review on Micropropagation of Rare Plant Species: Ashwagandha

Abstract

Micropropagation is a technique of rapidly multiplying stock plant materials to large number of progeny plants. Some plant species available in the nature contains few traits of medicinal value. From those species, Withania somnifera is found to be rarely available, having medicinal value and also well in vitro regeneration. Most of the plant species especially like Withania somnifera are having medicinal values and cultivated on land even after their good potential for in vitro multiplicity. Ashwagandha (i.e., Withania somnifera) is considered to be the core plant in this review. Explants like auxilary bud were directly regenerated and optimization of their in vitro multiplication was carried out by the use of growth regulators (GRs) such as cytokinins and auxins. MS media (i.e. Murashige and Skoog media) was used for in vitro regeneration of this explant; from Ashwagandha. Not only auxilary bud but also other parts; including stem tips, nodal part, anthers, petals, pollen and other plant tissues can be used as an explant. This review very well describes the effect of GR on the processes like shoot initiation, multiplication, hardening of a plant and its rooting by various research scholars. Keywords: Micropropagation, Withania somnifera, in vitro regeneration, growth regulators (GRs), MS media Cite this Article Chavda P, Trivedi N, Dhankot A. A Review on Micropropagation of Rare Plant Species: Ashwagandha. Research & Reviews: Journal of Botany. 2018; 7(3): 1–6p.