Sucrose, benzylaminopurine and photoperiod effects on in vitro culture of Kaempferia galanga Linn

Kaempferia galanga is a monocotyledonous plant of the Zingiberaceae family, commonly utilized for medicinal purposes. This study evaluates the effect of different concentrations of sucrose, benzylaminopurine (BA) and photoperiod on in vitro propagation of K. galanga. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 5 mg L-1 BA and 30 g L-1 sucrose, and a photoperiod with 4 h of light induced the highest shoot proliferation (7.4 +/- 1.0 shoots/explant) and the highest number of roots/shoot (31.3 +/- 3.2). On the contrary, the maximum shoot height (4.7 +/- 0.7 cm) and the highest number of leaves/shoot (4.7 +/- 0.2) were obtained from cultures using MS medium supplemented with 30 g L-1 sucrose but without BA, and exposed to 16 h of light. Hence MS medium supplemented with 5 mg L-1 BA and 30 g L-1 sucrose, and incubated under a 4 h light/20 h dark photoperiod was chosen as the optimal protocol for mass multiplication of K. galanga. This in-vitro technique can facilitate the production of a large number of uniform plants of K. galanga, irrespective of the seasonal factor, and could be used as a tool for conservation of the species.