Tissue culture studies on garden Rauvolfia (Rauvolfia tetraphylla L.)

Rauvolfia tetraphylla (L.) is one of the important medicinal shrubs exhibiting a range of therapeutic importance. A study was conducted to standardize the micro propagation protocol from shoot tips and nodal segment of Garden Rauvolfia. Two different explants with four different media composition were used in this experiment. The experimental results revealed that the highest percentage of aseptic culture and lowest percentage of contamination was observed in treatment with Bavistin(1%), mercury chloride (0.1%) and ethanol (70%). Maximum multiplication rate was observed in cultures of MS media with nodal segments. Highest percentage of shoot proliferation and highest number of multiple shoots were seen in MS media with 2.5 mg l-1 BAP, 0.1 mg l-1 NAA and 0.1 mg l-1 IAA. Shoot elongation of shoot was found best (9.30 cm) on MS media supplemented with 2.5 mg l-1 BAP, 0.5 mg l-1 NAA and 0.5 mg l-1 IAA. The in-vitro raised shoot successfully produced the roots in half strength MS media supplemented with 2.5 mg/L IBA and 0.5 NAA mg/L. The protocol was optimized by manipulations of different PGRs for enhanced multiplication. Protocol explained nodal segments on MS media produced the more number of multiple shoots which provides large number of true to the type, uniform, disease free, elite, plantlets right through the year, which helps large scale cultivation of this endangered important medicinal plant.