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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 12 No. 4 (2025)

Cytokinin improves in vitro organogenesis, biological activities and blooming in Vitex negundo L. - An endangered medicinal plant

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.8352
Submitted
18 March 2025
Published
10-10-2025 — Updated on 20-10-2025
Versions

Abstract

Vitex negundo L., an aromatic species, is used worldwide to cure several illnesses due to the presence of pharmacologically important metabolites in it. Cytokinin’s show plant growth promoting activity, so can be exploited in micropropagation of medicinal plants. The present study was aimed to assess the potential of cytokinin in improving in vitro organogenesis, biological activities and blooming in V. negundo. V. negundo offers various medicinal benefits due to its rich composition of active compounds. However, its conservation is threatened due to over-exploitation, necessitating optimized micropropagation protocols for sustainable use. Standardized and reproducible micropropagation systems are crucial for conservation and medical applications. To induce the axillary bud formation, explants were placed on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium enriched with different plant growth regulators (PGRs) as 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), diphenyl urea (DPU), thidizuron (TDZ) and meta-topolin (mT), individually or in combinations. The newly grown shoots were planted in half-strength MS medium supplemented naphthalene acetic acid. After sufficient root development, the rooted shoots were planted in small poly-stacks comprising of garden soil, sand and compost (1:1:1). Plantlets from in vitro cultures were successfully transplanted into the soil. Direct shoot regeneration and blooming of V. negundo were primarily induced by cytokinin. The optimal concentration of cytokinins for shoot regeneration was found to be 2.0 mg L-1 mT and 1.5 mg L-1 TDZ in MS medium. After 37 days of cultivation, the nodal explants showed a 100 % shoot regeneration rate at this concentration. The study revealed the potential of cytokinin in improving the biological activity of V. negundo.

 

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