In Vitro Shoot Multiplication of TYLOPHORA INDICA (BURM.F.) MERRILL

Tylophora indica (family- Asclepiadaceae) is a perrenial woody climbing shrub commonly known as Indian ipecac. It is distributed in plains forests and hilly slopes. T. indica (syn. T. asthmatica) is an important medicinal plant. It is widely used for the treatment of asthma bronchitis rheumatism respiratory problems and whooping cough. It possesses emetic stimulant cathartic and purgative properties. Its medicinal properties are due to the presence of alkaloids and flavonoids. Whole plant is used as medicine in Ayurveda. The chief objective of clonal or vegetative propagation is to produce progeny plants which are identical in genotype with their parent plants. Micro propagation is accomplished through three major routes namely shoot bud proliferation organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis. In this study WPM appears to be the most suitable medium for explants establishment stage that may be due to low ion concentration demand of the growing shoots or low concentration of the WPM. However the best rooting was observed in SH medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/l IBA. The use of liquid medium in Growtek was found satisfactory.