In Vitro Establishment, Hydroponic, Salt Tolerance, Antifungal And Phytochemical Investigations In Important Sand Binder Medicinal Plant Ipomoea Pes-Caprae

Abstract

Ipomoea pes-caprae (L.)R. Br. (Beach Morning Glory) is a latex-producing creeper with long stems and deep tap roots characterized by its ability to tolerate salinity and salty air. It has environmental impact as a sand binder. This medicinal plant is known to be astringent, laxative, tonic, alternative, and diuretic in traditional medications. Present study deals with the optimizations of in vitro protocols to raise and multiply plant at different morphogenic levels. It was found that nodal explants were showing new bud generation on MS+ 3.0 mg/L BAP (6-Benzyl amino purine) with generation frequency of 90.00±2. The best rooting response was observed on MS+ 1.0 mg/L IBA (Indole-3-butyric acid) where maximum number of roots (8.0±1.0) were generated with 80% acclimatization rate in lab conditions. Moreover, salt tolerance studies were performed in hydroponic system. In comparison to liquid MS (Murashige and Skoog) basal media and distilled water, hydroponic system was found to be optimum in roots and shoot generation. Out of four concentrations (0.2- 0.8%) of sodium chloride (NaCl) used in present study, 0.4% NaCl salt concentration showed optimum growth of root and shoot simultaneously. In vitro established plants were subjected to FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) and GC-MS (Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) analysis and were showing array of compounds. The methanolic extract of lab acclimatized plants showed modest antifungal activity against Pythium and Alternaria fungal genus with percent inhibition of 17.71 and 8.03, respectively on 6th day readings.