In vitro propagation of Spilanthes mauritiana DC., an endangered medicinal herb, through axillary bud cultures

Spilanthes mauritiana DC., (Compositae), a East African medicinal herb containing pharmaceutically promising secondary metabolites, has successfully been raised in vitro. We have developed a clonal propagation protocol that uses juvenile plants as starting material. The addition of benzylaminopurine (BA) (1.0 muM) and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) (0.1 muM) to the culture medium resulted in maximum shooting response with minimal callusing. Shoots rooted best in vitro in MS medium supplemented with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA; 0.2 muM), and plants that had already developed roots showed better growth, with maximum survival rate, in the greenhouse after an initial hardening.