Vegetative propagation and micropropagation of Rauvolfia densiflora Benth. Ex. Hook: A medicinal plant

Abstract

Rauvolfia densiflora Benth. ex. Hook, is a medicinal plant found in the Himalayas, Khasi and Aka hills, Western and Eastern Ghats of India. It is economically important, due to the presence of alkaloids such as ajmaline, reserpiline and reserpine. Since, the reproduction of this species in nature is through seed, variation in alkaloids yield is apparently genetically controlled and might get reduced in successive progenies through adverse gene recombination. Hence, clonal propagation is a better way of maintaining high yielding genetic stock. In the present study, vegetative and micropropagation was attempted. The effects of different plant growth regulators (PGR's) on the vegetative propagation using hardwood and softwood cuttings were studied. However, hardwood cutting showed better response. Among the different concentrations of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) tried, IBA 75 ppm treated for 16 hours showed better response. Among the different explants tried for callus induction, the leaf and axillary buds showed better response with MS medium containing 1 mg/l BA and 2 mg/l 2, 4-D hormonal combination.