An efficient system for the production of the medicinally important plant: <i>Asparagus cochinchinensis</i> (Lour.) Merr.

Abstract

An in vitro cultivation protocol was developed for Asparagus cochinchinensis a species threatened by over collection due to its importance as a medicinal plant in China. Adventitious shoot induction was most successful by using hypocotyls as explants for propagation on Murashige and Skoog (Murashige et al., 1962) medium supplemented with 4.5 μM N₆-benzylaminopurine (BA) only as well as with 3.0 μM α- naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 4.5 μM BA. For continuous subculture, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and BA (μM) at a ratio of 3.0:4.5 or 3.0:9.0 had the best regeneration potential producing approximately four plantlets per nodal explants. Plantlets had 4 – 5 nodes that could be utilized for the following subculture phase to induce axillary shoots. The plantlets were placed on ½-strength MS medium, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) was included in the media at a concentration of 2.5 or 5.0 M. This propagation regime has the capacity for producing 1000 – 2000 plants from one shoot after 3 months long subculture cycles, making it highly attractive for implementation as an in vitro conservation strategy. The micropropagated plants were easily acclimatized (80%) within a month after rooting in vitro and being planted ex vitro in a sand : soil : peat moss : vermiculite (1:2:1:1; v/v/v/v) mixture.

Key words: Medicinal herbs, Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr., micropropagation.