Abstract
Costus pictus D. Don is a potent anti-diabetic plant used in folk, ayurvedic and homeopathic system of medicine. Gene and protein expression of key targets in insulin signaling pathway have revealed that methyl tetracosonoate, a bio-active molecule from Costus pictus extract has anti-diabetic activity. The axillary buds of Costus pictus are dormant. The dormancy of axillary buds were broken when cultured in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 3-4 μM 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) in combination with 0.21 μM naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). The highest bud-break percentage was achieved in those supplemented with 0.6 μM NAA and 3 μM BAP. The sprouted axillary buds were transferred onto medium supplemented with 0.6 μM NAA and 6-10 μM BAP for shoot multiplication. The maximum average number of shoot was achieved in medium supplemented with 0.6 μM NAA and 8 μM BAP. The shoots were successfully rooted when transferred onto media supplemented with 1-12 μM NAA or indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 3 μM BAP. The maximum number of roots was found in 8 μM NAA and 3 μM BAP. The dormancy of in vitro axillary buds were also successfully broken in stems from which shoot apex were decapitated and cultured in MS medium with 0.6 μM NAA, 7 μM BAP and 5-13% sucrose. These sprouted in vitro axillary buds could be used as secondary explants for shoot multiplication. The maximum was in medium supplemented with 9% sucrose. Rhizomes were successfully induced when 4-month old plantlets were cultured on 1⁄2 strength MS medium supplemented with 2.4 μM NAA, 32 μM BAP and 5-13% sucrose. Microrhizomes formed in 9% sucrose was largest in size with highest average fresh weight.
Highlights
The genus Costus Linn. belongs to the family Costaceae
Gene and protein expression of key targets in insulin signaling pathway have revealed that methyl tetracosonoate, a bio-active molecule isolated from Costus pictus extract has anti-diabetic activity (Shilpa et al, 2009)
The nodal segments were cultured in MS (Murashige and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA)-Naphthalene acetic acid (Skoog), 1962) medium supplemented with various plant growth regulators (PGRs), sucrose and 8 g L-1 agar
Summary
The genus Costus Linn. belongs to the family Costaceae. It has been separated from the family Zingiberaceae on the basis of the presence of spirally arranged leaves and rhizomes being free from aromatic essential oils. Kirchoff and Rutishauser (1990) suggested that Costaceae could be distinguished from other families within the order Zingiberales by well-developed and sometimes branched aerial shoots that have characteristic monostichous (one-sided) spiral phyllotaxy. Costus mexicanus (DC.) commonly known as spiral ginger, step ladder or insulin plant is a plant originated in Mexico It is a potent anti-diabetic plant and used in folk, ayurvedic and homeopathic systems of medicine ( Joshi, 2000). Jayasri et al (2009) reported that Costus pictus extract have inhibitory effect on carbohydrate hydrolysing enzyme like α-glucosidase and α-amylase. These findings have revealed anti-diabetic potential of Costus pictus. Micropropagation using nodal segments overcome many disadvantages of rhizomatous eye/ bud/ shoot tip culture. Shoot multiplication in Costus speciosus has been achieved using shoot tips (Chaturvedi et al, 1984), rhizome thin section (Malabadi et al, 2005) and nodal segment (Punyarani and Sharma, 2009). An efficient protocol for mass multiplication of Costus pictus has been developed
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