Micropropagation of Bacopa Monneiri L. Penn. - an Important Medicinal Plant

Abstract

Bacopa monnieri L. Penn. commonly known as “Brahmi” is an important medicinal herb of the family Scrophulariaceae. It is the foremost brain tonic herb of the Indian System of Medicine and other traditional systems, used primarily as a nerve tonic, to treat insomnia and nervous tension. Microropagation is rapid, in vitro clonal multiplication method of elite clones and also helps in dissemination and ex situ conservation of this endangered medicinal plant. In the present work, optimization and effort to improve the existing protocol for the in vitro culture conditions of Bacopa monnieri for mass multiplication and callus culture study has been initiated. It has been observed that MS Basal + 4 mg/l BAP + 0.4 mg/l NAA and MS Basal + 0.5 mg/l BAP + 0.5 mg/l NAA gives the best results for culture initiation and axillary shoot proliferation for bud breakage %, average shoot length, average number of shoots and %age cluster formation. For rooting, MS+Agar 7 gm/l + Sugar-20 gm/l and MS+Agar 8 gm/l+ Sugar 20 gm/l was found to be the best medium in terms of shoot/root ratio and number of roots. Compact globular callus was best initiated and proliferated on MS +0.5 mg/l BAP + 1mg/l 2,4-D and medium with best regeneration is MS +1.0 mg/l BAP + 1mg/l IAA. Best hardening mixtures are Soil: Agropeat (4:1 v/v) and Soil + VAM based potting mixture (10:1 v/v).