Quantifying synergy of plant growth hormones, anti-oxidants, polyamines and silver nitrate for optimizing the micro propagation of Capparis decidua: an underutilised medicinal shrub

Capparis deciduais an underutilized plant with diverse applications in ethnomedicine and pharmacology, and also, the plant has the potential to be a source of functional food and nutrapharmaceuticals. Being grown in arid- and semi-arid environments, the crop is well adapted to adverse conditions, and offers an excellent system to study the adaptation of such species to harsh environments. Despite these merits, the biodiversity ofC. deciduais challenged by several natural and man-made factors, and the species might be enlisted as an endangered plant if the situation prevails. In this context, developing a tissue culture protocol for mass clonal propagation gains importance, and in this purview, the present study was undertaken to optimize the micropropagation ofC. decidua. The study investigated the impact of seasonal changes on the potential of explants and also chose the appropriate explant (shoot tips) for further experimentation. A total of twenty-five different media supplemented with various plant growth hormones and factors were assayed, out of which media MS-3 (1 mg/L BAP, 1 mg/L NAA; 15 mg/L adenine sulphate, and 0.2% activated charcoal) was found the most suitable for bud outbreak and shoot induction. The study also found that MS-22 with 2 mg/L silver nitrate used as an additive contributed to maximum biomass. Further, supplementing the media with adenine sulphate favoured shoot differentiation, while silver nitrate improves bud outbreak percentage. Also, the study identified SM-4 and RM-3 as the suitable media for shoot root multiplication, respectively. Altogether, the study has provided an optimal protocol for micropropagation ofC. deciduathat would further open the avenues for research in conservation as well as facilitates genetic and genomic studies in this important species.