In Vitro Plant Regeneration Potential of Genetically Stable Globba marantina L., Zingiberaceous Species and its Conservation

Abstract

A protocol was developed for propagation and in vitro conservation of a rare traditional medicinal plant, Globba marantina L. The present slow growth protocol was achieved for long term conservation of plants using both solid and liquid Murashige and Skoog media with different carbon sources and growth hormones. Half-Murashige and Skoog supplemented with Kinetin (3 mg/l) and Naphthalene acetic acid (0.5 mg/l) was found to be optimum with sucrose (10 g/l) and mannitol (10 g/l). Subculture duration could be significantly enhanced and the regenerated plants were successfully conserved for a maximum period of 220 days. Plants regenerated from conserved cultures were successfully established in soil. On the basis of 12 inter simple sequence repeat primers and morphological characteristic analysis from field up to two generations, no significant variation was observed between the control and in vitro regenerated plants. The present protocol for the first time reports mass propagation and genetic stability of G. marantina L. which could be used for commercial purposes.