Somatic embryogenesis from callus cultures of Terminalia chebula Retz.:: an important medicinal tree

Somatic embryogenesis was obtained from cotyledon and mature zygotic embryo callus cultures of Terminalia chebula Retz. Callus cultures of cotyledon and mature zygotic embryo were initiated on induction medium containing Murashige and Skoog (MS) nutrients with 1.0 mg/l 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) either 0.01 or 0.1 mg/l Kinetin and 30 g/l sucrose. Induction of somatic embryogenesis, proliferation and development was obtained through different culture passages. Embryogenic cotyledon callus with globular somatic embryos was obtained on MS basal medium supplemented with 50 g/l sucrose. Globular somatic embryos were observed from mature zygotic embryo callus on induction medium. Different stages of somatic embryo development from cotyledon and mature zygotic embryo calluses were observed on MS basal medium supplemented with 50 g/l sucrose after 4 weeks of culture. Histological studies have revealed the developmental stages of somatic embryos. A maximum of 40.3 +/- 1.45 cotyledonary somatic embryos/callus was obtained from mature zygotic embryo compared to 7.70 +/- 0.37 cotyledonary somatic embryos/callus initiated from cotyledons. Germination of somatic embryos and conversion to plants were achieved. Highest frequency of germination (46.66 +/- 0.88) of somatic embryos was obtained on MS basal medium containing benzyladenine (0.5 mg/l) with 30 g/l sucrose.