Effective colchicine-induced polyploid induction in Centella asiatica (L.) Urban

Centella asiatica (L.) Urban, a tropical herb, has been used both as a vegetable and a medicinal herb. The induction of polyploidy in C. asiatica represents an alternative approach to enhance its yield through breeding. The objective of this study was to induce polyploidy in C. asiatica by treating its seeds with colchicine, with the intention to create a genetically diverse population. The seeds of C. asiatica were treated with 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4% colchicine for 12 and 24 h. Subsequently, the agricultural characteristics were studied. Ploidy levels were examined through flow cytometry analysis and morphological characteristics were studied. It was found that the concentrations of colchicine significantly resulted in the germination, abnormality, height, and number of leaves of 1-month old seedlings. Studies have shown that both 12 and 24 h exposure to 0.2% colchicine resulted in maximum seedling abnormalities. When the polyploidy of 5-month-old C. asiatica seedlings were examined, examination of putative tetraploid revealed that treatments treated with colchicine T4 (0.1, 24), T6 (0.2, 24) and T9 (0.4, 12) were 100% tetraploid. The study revealed that treating with 0.1, 0.2% colchicine for 24 h and 0.4% colchicine for 24 h promotes polyploidy easily and efficiently. Polyploids feature bigger leaves, longer stems, and a more intense green color.