Pharmacognostical studies of in vivo grown garden plant and in vitro generated plantlets from nodal explants of Justicia adhatoda L.

Abstract

Justicia adhatoda L. (Family: Acanthaceae) has been exploited in India because of rich source of polyphenolic compounds which are used in stress related therapy. The Pharmacognostical study includes preliminary phytochemical screening of alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids and saponins which were confirmed in both in vivo grown garden plants as well as in vitro generated plantlets of J adhatoda. Explants inoculated on MS medium supplemented with different combination of auxins and cytokinins were successfully employed; combination of NAA (0.5µg/ml) and BA (2.0µg/ml) for nodal explants was found to be effective concentration to obtain plant regenerants from nodal explants. Rooting in the regenerants was also successfully initiated on transfer into half MS basal medium, supplemented with IBA (1.0 µg/ml). Addition of ADS (0.5µg/ml) in the above combinations of phytohormones induced multiple shoot from nodal explants. After hardening for 35 days in highly humidified acclimatized room, nearly 70 % of rooted plantlets survived in the field. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids and saponins in the methanol and aqueous extracts of both in vivo grown garden plants and in vitro genereated plantlet samples. Further analysis of the extracts on Thin Layer Chromatography and spectrophotometric estimation confirmed the presence of vasicine alkaloids in these extract samples with marked difference in quantity.