An efficient plant regeneration and in vitro secondary metabolite production in pseudarthria viscida (l.) wight & ARN

Pseudarthria viscida (L.) Wight and Arn. belonging to the family Leguminosae is an essential component of many famous Ayurvedic formulations like Dashamoola, Mahanarayana taila and Dhantara taila. Major chemical compounds present in the roots are gallic acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, rutin, quercetin and oleic acid. Since Pseudarthria viscida has high commercial and medicinal values, the excessive collection has resulted in gradual disappearance of this plant from natural habitat and at present its number is highly reduced in the wild. To conserve the genetic stocks of this plant in vitro propagation can be utilized successfully. The main aim of this work is to identify an efficient regeneration and in vitro secondary metabolite production in Pseudarthria viscida using MS medium. Leaf, node and inter nodal segments were used as explants for callus induction, subsequent shoot regeneration and adventitious roots induction. Ninety eight percentage of callus induction observed from leafy segment on MS medium supplemented with 1.5 mgl-1 2,4-D + 0.5 mgl-1 Kinetin and 2.5 mgl-1NAA+1 mgl-1BAP. Maximum number of shoot regeneration from nodal segments noticed on medium with 0.5 mgl-1 NAA+2.5 mgl-1BAP after 28 days. Maximum number of rooting noticed on medium with 2.5 and 2 mgl-1IBA and NAA respectively after 29 days. The plantlets were then transferred to field after acclimatization. For secondary metabolite production, the four week old callus were cultured in suspension using abiotic (Salicylic acid) and biotic elicitors(Chitosan) for enhancing the production of phenolic compound. The optimal fold increase of phenolic compound were noticed in 48 hour callus culture by 1.5 mg Chitosan treatment. The bioactive phenolic compound (gallic acid) was then isolated from the different elicitors treated callus extract and its identification and quantification was carried out by HPTLC and HPLC methods.