Rapid in vitro regeneration method for Moringa oleifera and performance evaluation of field grown nutritionally enriched tissue cultured plants.

The present investigations were attempted to
develop the rapid in vitro micropropagation protocol of
Moringa oleifera (Variety-PKM-1) from nodal sections of
young, aseptically grown seedlings. Benzyladenine (BA) at
4.44 lM was found to be optimal in producing on maximum
an average of 9.0 ± 1.0 axillary shoots per explant
after 15 days of inoculation. A high multiplication rate was
established through routine sub culturing of nodal sections
explanted from in vitro shoot cultures. In vitro rooting of
individual shoot culture was maximum (100%) on medium
containing indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at 2.85 lM along
with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) at 4.92 lM. Eighty percent
of the rooted plants survived after being transplanted
in the soil, provided that the potted plantlets were covered
with clear polythene bags and kept in a shaded greenhouse
for 15 days before exposure to ambient conditions. Fresh
leaves of field grown tissue culture plants were analyzed
for lutein, b-carotene, a-tocopherol, total carotenoids and
chlorophyll content. Tissue culture-derived plants were
found nutritionally superior over control plants to contain
13.2 and 14.7% higher amount a-tocopherol and total
carotenoids, respectively. The result of present study will
be useful for rapid clonal propagation of M. oleifera and
production of nutritionally superior plant.