Rapid in Vitro Plant Regeneration from Nodal Explants of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal: a Valuable Medicinal Plant

Withania somnifera (L. ) Dunal is a high demanding valuable medicinal plant which have pharmaceuticals properties, known for its withanolides. Nodal segment explants of W. somnifera when cultured on MS (Murashige and skoog-s, 1969) medium horizontally containing different concentration (1-3mg/l) of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), kinetin (Kn) and thidiazuron (TDZ) produced multiple shoots on both axillary ends of explants when kept horizontally in the medium, within 3 weeks of culture incubation. Maximum multiple shoots was found in MS medium supplemented with (2.0mg/l) BAP as it induced an average of 21 0.0.57 shoots per explants and the maximum shoot length (5.24 0.20) cm. Successful in vitro rooting was induced from cut end of the microshoots when placed on half-strength MS medium supplemented with (5.0mg/l) Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The regenerated shoots with well developed root system were successfully acclimatized and established in pots containing soilleaf manure (31) and grown under greenhouse conditions with 94 % survival rate.