An efficient protocol for in-vitro regeneration of Vitex negundo an important medicinal plant

An efficient in vitro protocol has been established for propagation of elite plant of Vitex negundo L. (Verbenaceae) commonly known as Nirgundi. It is a large woody aromatic and multipurpose medicinal shrub. It is used medicinally throughout the greater part of India. This species is widely used in Chinese herbal medicine and is the second most important for treatment of chronic bronchitis. Leaf extract of this plant possess antibacterial and antitumor activity. In the present study, nodal segments of Vitex negundo were taken as source of explants and grown on MS media with 3% Sucrose and 0.8% agar-agar, supplemented with different concentrations of BAP, KIN (0.5 - 3.5 mgl(-1)) and TDZ (0.5-2.0), with various auxins (NAA, IBA, TIBA), incubated under a photoperiod of 16h illumination of light and 8h dark at 25 +/- 2 degrees C. MS + 1 mgl(-1) BAP was found to be the best concentration for shoot regeneration (90%). The regenerated shoots were sub-cultured for rooting, using different concentrations of IBA and NAA. Present optimized micropropagation protocol offers the possibility of germplasm conservation and mass cultivation of this important medicinal plant.