In vitro regeneration of shoots and ex vitro rooting of an important medicinal plant Passiflora foetida L. through nodal segment cultures

Methods were developed in the present investigation for cloning and large scale plant production of Passiflora foetida L. germplasm selected from the East-Coast region of South India. Nodal shoot segments were used as explants. The explants were dressed and surface sterilized with 0.1% (w/v) HgCl(2). Multiple shoots were induced (6.13 ± 0.22 shoots per explant) by proliferation of nodal shoot meristems on Murashige and Skoog (MS) semi-solid medium + 2.0 mg l(−1) 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). The shoots of P. foetida were further multiplied (16.45 ± 0.44 shoots per explant) on MS medium + 0.5 mg l(−1) each of BAP and Kinetin (Kin). The in vitro generated shoots were rooted on half-strength MS medium containing 2.5 mg l(−1) indole-3 butyric acid (IBA). By this method 67% shoots were rooted. About 97% shoots were rooted ex vitro (8.33 ± 0.29 roots per shoot) when the cut ends of the shoots were treated with 300 mg l(−1) IBA for 5 min. The in vitro rooted plants were hardened and acclimatized in the greenhouse and successfully (100%) transplanted to the field.