Format: ORAL

Charushila M. Dalavi 1, Jalaja Naravula 2, P. B. Kavi Kishor 3, Pratik S. Kamble 1 and Swaroopa A. Patil 1

1 Shivaji University, Kolhapur, India 2 Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology and Research (Deemed to be University), Guntur, India 3 Osmania University, Hyderabad, India

Solanum virginianum L. (Solanaceae) is one among the Dashamoola group of plants used in Ayurveda. Dasmul Asava and Dasmularishta are well known ayurvedic formulation used as analgesic and anti-inflammatory. The roots of S. virginianum are used in these formulations and therefore, there is a need to develop an efficient protocol for in vitro multiplication of this species so that roots can be obtained on a large scale within a short time span. Accordingly, we standardized the in vitro protocol for this species using nodal explants. MS (Murashige and Skoog) medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of cytokinins was used for shoot initiation. MS supplemented with 0.75 mg l-1 BA ideally yielded 31.71.33 shoots/explant (p0.05) with a response of 95%. Combination of BA (0.75 mg l-1) and TDZ (1 mg l-1) produced the highest number of shoots (63.915.19 shoots/explant) with 90% response. Subculturing the shoots on different concentrations of BA led to 100% shoot multiplication with an average shoot number of 26.251.31 shoots/explant and average shoot length 4.430.26 cm. MS augmented with IBA (2.5 mg l-1) and IAA (1.5 mg l-1) was used for in vitro rooting of shoots that yielded 26.831.27 roots/shoot with 92% rooting response and the average root length 6.250.33 cm. Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated hairy root induction was successfully done in leaf and stem explants of S. virginianum using ATCC 15834 strain. The transformation was confirmed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Initiation of hairy roots from both leaf and stem explants was recorded but in varied frequencies (leaf 37.77%, 5.880.22 hairy roots/explant and stem-21.33% with 3.180.29 hairy roots/ explant). Proliferative growth of hairy roots was achieved in the 9th passage (188.943.65 hairy roots/leaf explant) and in 6th passage (115.776.62 hairy roots/stem explant).