Abstract

Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. is an endangered medicinal plant with anticancer properties. The rhizome and tuberous roots of the plant have been used extensively in India in indigenous medicine. Due to its multiple uses, the demand for Curculigo orchioides is constantly on the rise; however, the supply is rather erratic and inadequate. Destructive harvesting, combined with habitat destruction in the form of deforestation has aggravated the problem. The plant is now considered ‘endangered’ in its natural habitat. Therefore, the need for conservation of this plant is crucial. Here, we describe a successful protocol for multiple shoot induction of C. orchioides using shoot tip and rhizome disc. We find that proximal rhizome discs are optimal for high frequency shoot bud formation than shoot tip and distal rhizome disc. We observed a synergistic effect between 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and kinetin (KN) (each at 1 mg/L) on the regeneration of shoot buds from proximal rhizome disc than shoot tip explant. Optimum root induction was achieved on half-strength MS liquid medium supplemented with 1 mg/L of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The in vitro raised plantlets were acclimatized in green house and successfully transplanted to natural condition with 90% survival.

中文摘要

Curculigo orchioides 是瀕臨絕種的抗癌藥用植物，其地下莖和塊根在印度固有醫藥中被廣泛地使用。由於它的多元用途，其需求量持續上升，市場供應不穩定且量亦不足。因為破壞性的採收方式和砍伐森林造成生育地的破壞，使問題更趨嚴重。現在Curculigo orchioides 在原始生育地已瀕臨絕種，因此其種源的保育是非常重要的。本論文報導由莖頂和地下莖圓片誘導多芽繁殖的成功方法。我們發現地下莖近端的圓片比莖頂和地下莖遠端更適宜用來誘導多芽體的產生；且6-benzylaminopurine (BAP)和kinetin 兩者合用時 (各1 mg/L)，對地下莖近端圓片之再生作用的增強效果比莖頂更好。添加1 mg/L indole butyric acid (IBA) 之1/2 強度的MS液體培養基可適用於發根。由試管培養所得的小植株經溫室馴化階段後，移植到自然環境中，有90%的生存率。

Keyword: Proximal rhizome disc, multiple shoot induction, Curculigo orchioides. 地下莖近端圓片、多芽誘導、Curculigo orchioides。