In vitro clonal propagation of Salacia oblonga WALL. An endangered medicinal plant

An efficient protocol has been developed to micropropagate Salacia oblonga WALL, an highly endangered medicinal plant of the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka. Endangered nature of S. oblonga is due to over exploitation for its medicinal significance and poor seed germination rate. Therefore, there is an immediate necessity to micropropagate the plant in in vitro conditions in order to conserve the plant from the brink of extinction. For the first time, the plant has been propagated successfully through in vitro conditions using nodal explants. Various hormonal concentrations were experimentally checked to micropropagate S. oblonga. Maximum shooting response was observed from the axils of nodal explants on MS media, supplemented with BAP (3.5 mg/l) + IBA (1 mg/l), followed by BAP (4 mg/l)+ IAA(1 mg/l). Successful rooting was observed in MS media, supplemented with 0.5 mg/l IBA. The rooted plantlets were shifted to green house for acclimatization. The results will help to facilitate the conservation and propagation of endangered medicinal plant S. oblonga.