In vitro flowering of Withania somnifera Dunal.—An important antitumor medicinal plant

• Published in: Plant science (Limerick) Vol. 172; no. 4; pp. 847 - 851
• Main Authors: Saritha, K.V., Naidu, C.V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-04-2007; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biology and morphogenesis of the reproductive apparatus. Photoperiodism, vernalisation; flowering; fruiting; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; In vitro flowering; In vitro fruiting; medicinal plants; micropropagation; Plant physiology and development; plant regeneration; seed germination; Seed set; Vegetative and sexual reproduction, floral biology, fructification; Withania somnifera; In vitro flowering; Seed set; Kn; IAA; In vitro fruiting; Withania somnifera; BA; NAA; Seeds; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Flowering; Spermatophyta; Solanaceae
• ISSN: 0168-9452; 1873-2259
• DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2006.12.016

In vitro flowering,
in vitro fruiting and effective micropropagation protocol were studied in
Withania somnifera, an antitumor medicinal plant using axillary bud explants. The Murashige and Skoog's medium (MS) supplemented with
N
6-benzyl adenine (BA) 2.0
mg
l
−1 and α-naphthalene acetic acid 0.1
mg
l
−1 was found optimum for production of multiple shoots. The regenerated plantlets were found to form tiny green floral buds after 4–6 weeks of culture in MS medium supplemented with Kinetin (0.5–4.0
mg
l
−1) and indole-3-acetic acid (0.1
mg
l
−1).
In vitro fruiting was observed in the presence of Kn (2.0
mg
l
−1) and IAA (0.1
mg
l
−1). This paper describes
in vitro flowering system to overcome problems associated with flower growth and development as well as fruit and seed production
in vitro.