Multiple shoot regeneration and tissue culture studies on Bacopa monnieri (L.) Pennell

 Adventitious shoot buds were induced from leaf and stem explants of Bacopa monnieri on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with benzyladenine or kinetin. The source of the explants as well as different gelling agents in the medium were found to influence shoot induction and eventual shoot growth. The best response was obtained in leaf explants taken from shoot cultures grown in medium supplemented with 2 μM benzyladenine and gelled with 0.2% gelrite. A transverse section of the leaf explant incubated in this medium showed several shoot primordia emerging from the leaf surface. This system exhibited a potential for repeated harvesting of the shoots from the original leaf explant as the latter continued to expand and regenerate new shoots, upon repeated periodical subculturing onto fresh medium. However, the callusing response of the plant was very low. Qualitative TLC studies of the regenerated shoots revealed a phytochemical profile similar to that of the field grown-plants. Received: 20 March 1998 / Revision received: 1 December 1998 / Accepted: 12 December 1998