Shoot bud proliferation from axillary nodes and leaf sections of non-toxic Jatropha curcas L.

Protocols for in vitro propagation of non-toxic variety of J. curcas through axillary bud proliferation and direct adventitious shoot bud regeneration from leaf segments have been established. Shoot bud proliferation from axillaries was assessed on an initial basal Murashige and Skoog (MS) salt medium supplemented with different concentrations of benzyladenine (BA), kinetin and thidiazuron (TDZ) followed by subculture to medium with 4.4-8.9 mu M BA. Regardless of the concentration of BA in the subculture medium, shoot multiplication rate was optimum (10-12.3) with primary culture on medium supplemented with 2.3-4.5 mu M TDZ. Efficient adventitious shoot regeneration from leaf tissues was achieved with culture on medium with 8.9-44.4 mu M BA + 4.9 mu M indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) followed by transfer to medium supplemented with 8.9 mu M BA + 2.5 mu M IBA. Similarity index between toxic Indian variety and the non-toxic variety based on 435 RAPD markers was 96.3%. Crossing studies followed by phorbol ester quantitation revealed that outcrosses with toxic J. curcas do not affect the phorbol ester content of seeds borne on the non-toxic variety.