Biodiversity and In vitro Conservation of Three Medicinally Important Herbs: Spilanthes acmella L. var. oleraceae Clarke, S. calva L., and S. paniculata Wall. ex DC.

Abstract

In vitro mass production and conservation of three antimalarial medicinal herbs: Spilanthes acmella L. var. oleraceae, S. calva, and S. paniculata of asteraceae employing seedling leaf explants. The explants were reared on MS medium containing a variety of growth regulators, namely cytokinins (BA, KN and 2iP), or auxins (2,4-D, NAA and IBA) in different concentrations (0.1, 1, 5, 10, and 20 μM) either alone or in combination. MS+5μM BA proved optimum for S. calva, with an average of 4.17 ± 1.5 shoots. However, in S. acmella L. var. oleraceae and S. paniculata, MS+1μM NAA+5μM BA proved best for differentiating an average of 4.46 ± 1.2 and 6.50 ± 2.6 shoots, respectively. The shoots were excised and rooted in half-strength MS basal medium supplemented with auxins (NAA or IBA). Thus, a successful method for ex-situ conservation has been established in the three Spilanthes species for the first time.