Full Length Research Paper

 Abstract

The root of Plumbago zeylanica is widely used by traditional Yoruba healers in Ibadan, Southwestern Nigeria, in the management and treatment of various infections and diseases. The plant is mainly harvested from the wild. The indiscriminate collection of the roots and non - cultivation of the plant has many implications for biodiversity. The plant is becoming scarce due to increasing demand for its use in ethnobotanical practice. These factors necessitate the study of micropropagation of P. zeylanica via tissue culture to ensure its sustainability. The embryos and nodal cuttings of P. zeylanica were used to evaluate the effect of culture media and growth regulators on the in-vitro shoot production and growth. The embryos were significantly viable on Nitrogen - Phosphorus - Potassium (NPK) basal media. The highest multiplication rate of the explants was obtained using Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) (0.01 - 0.05 mg/l) and benzyl amino purine (BAP) (2.0 - 4.5 mg/l). The single nodes of established plantlets were repeatedly sub-cultured on MS-NAA-BAP media at 4 week intervals for six months; the media enabled multiple shooting, rooting and mass multiplications without decline. The phytochemicals found in the in-vitro plantlets were saponins and tannins. The rooted plants which were successfully acclimatized in a green-house, then transferred to soil, showed a normal growth.

Key words: Micropropagation, natural media, phytochemical screening, Plumbago zeylanica L.