Title: Somatic embryogenesis through callus induction in low β-asarone containing diploid cytotype of Acorus calamus Linn

Biography:

Ningthoujam Sandhyarani Devi has recently submitted her Ph.D. Thesis to Manipur University, Imphal, India. She has worked as Project Fellow in ICMR-funded project “Centre for advanced research in DNA finger printing and diagnosis of medicinal properties in plants from eastern and north-eastern India” and Principal Investigator under DST-Women Scientist-A project “Diversity, phytochemical and molecular analyses and conservation of Acorus calamus Linn., an important medicinal and aromatic plant growing in Manipur”. She has published four papers in international SCI journals. Currently, she is working as Asistant Professor at Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Utlou, Manipur, India.

Abstract

Acorus calamus (diploid, 2n=24) containing very low β-asarone content (0.6%) as determined by high performance liquid chromatography has been reported. Various bioactive molecules, viz., acorenone, α- & β-asarone, asaryldehyde, caryophylene, isoasarone, methylisoeugenol and safrol have been isolated from Acorus calamus without assigning proper cytotypes. The use of triploid (2n=36), tetraploid (2n=48) and hexaploid (2n=72) cytotypes having increased β-asarone contents with increased ploidy level in pharmaceutical drug industry always pose great concerns due to the risk of associated human diseases. The different cytotypes show great variability in morphological characters and chemical composition of essential oils in the leaves and the rhizomes. Diploid A. calamus has very insignificant β-asarone level which is known to be toxic and cause chromosomal aberrations, mutations and cancer. Therefore, diploid A. calamus obviously is the ideal raw material as potential drug source. An efficient and reproducible callus-mediated plant regeneration protocol has been developed for large scale production of diploid A. calamus which can ensure sustainable development and utilization of the highly threatened species found in the wild wetland habitats. For callus induction, 2,4-D was used on full-strength Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium using different explants. Callus was induced with optimum frequency by shoot axillary bud on MS medium supplemented with 2 mgL^-1 2,4-D. MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mgL^-1 NAA and 2 mgL^-1 BAP resulted in highest regeneration (90%) which produced maximum number of shoots capable of growing into independent plantlets. Such protocols would ensure availability of quality raw materials for large-scale drug manufacturing operations.