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In vitro conservation of Alectra chitrakutensis: a critically endangered root parasitic plant of high medicinal importance

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Abstract

The present study provides an effective in vitro propagation method for critically endangered parasitic plant Alectra chitrakutensis (M.A. Rau) R. Prasad & R.D. Dixit (Scrophulariaceae). The plant comprises tremendous medicinal properties to treat many diseases such as leprosy, leucoderma, tuberculosis and paralysis. The protocol has been developed using rhizome explant on the modified Murashige and Skoog medium containing various phytohormones to raise complete plantlets without any host interaction. 0.5 mg/l kinetin and 1.0 mg/l NAA was found to be the most excellent medium combination to obtain plantlets with an average shoot length of 11 ± 1.04 cm; and 100% response for rooting. The same medium combination also supported flowering in vitro. Further, comparative molecular and chemical characterization of in vitro and in vivo grown plants were carried out by performing RAPD and HPTLC analysis, respectively, to make sure the genetic as well as chemical stability among the plants. RAPD analysis with MAP (01-20) and OPJ primers (01-20) exhibited a monomorphic band pattern which revealed the genetic similarities among the tested plants. Similarly, presence of azafrin, the most important pharmaceutically active compound in in vitro generated plants indicates the efficacy of protocol to fulfill the objective of in vitro propagation of this critically endangered plant species. Moreover, the present study is the first report towards in vitro conservation of parasitic plant A. chitrakutensis without host from the rhizome explant.

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Abbreviations

MS:

Murashige and Skoog medium

WH:

White medium

WPM:

Woody plant medium

BAP:

6-Benzylaminopurine

Kn:

Kinetin

Zn:

Zeatin

IAA:

Indole-3-acetic acid

IBA:

Indole-3-butyric acid

NAA:

α Naphthalene acetic acid

DW:

Dry weight

AU:

Arbitrary units

Rf:

Retention factor

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Prof. M.K. Rai, Head, Department of Biotechnology, Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, Amravati (M.S.) for providing necessary laboratory facilities required for study. They are also thankful to Dr. P.B. Kale, Director, Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Rural Industrialization, Wardha (M.S.) for providing essential facilities time to time during the entire period of study. Funding was provided by Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise, Gov. of India, New Delhi, India (Grant no. C-3).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lab no. 106, Plant Secondary Metabolite Lab, Department of Biotechnology, Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, Amravati, MS, 444 602, India

    Shital Kailsh Sharma & Anita Patil

  2. Bio-processing and Herbal Division, Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Rural Industrialization, Maganwadi, Wardha, MS, 442 001, India

    Adarsh Kumar Agnihotri & Shakti Mehrotra

  3. Plant Biotechnology Division, Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, P.O. CIMAP, Picnic Spot Road, Lucknow, UP, 226 015, India

    Shakti Mehrotra

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  1. Shital Kailsh Sharma
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  2. Anita Patil
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  4. Shakti Mehrotra
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Correspondence to Shital Kailsh Sharma.

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Communicated by E. Dziedzic.

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Sharma, S.K., Patil, A., Agnihotri, A.K. et al. In vitro conservation of Alectra chitrakutensis: a critically endangered root parasitic plant of high medicinal importance. Acta Physiol Plant 40, 29 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-018-2606-y

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