In Vitro Strategies for the Conservation of Some Medicinal and Horticultural Climbers

Abstract

There has been an increase in use of traditional medicine during the last decade due to the reason that medicinal plant-derived drugs are more effective against several diseases as compared to antibiotics and other medicines and the former has less side effects on patients. Moreover, medicinal plants are a rich source of antibacterial compounds. The increased use and harvest of medicinal plants coupled with habitat destruction caused a decrease in natural population of most of the medicinal plants. In vitro conservation strategies can not only offer large number of plants in limited time but also it can decrease tension on natural populations. Similarly, several horticultural plants including vegetable crops need improvements and therefore in vitro conservation strategies could be applied for their further progress. The present review is an attempt to provide information on various in vitro conservation strategies adopted in selected medicinal and horticultural climbers. The important medicinal and horticultural climbers such as Benincasa hispida, Cardiospermum halicacabum, Tylophora indica, Sarcostemma brevistigma, Cyclea peltata, Caesalpinia bonduc, Clitoria ternatea, Hemidesmus indicus, Momordica charantia, and Embelia ribes have been discussed in detail.