EFFICIENT REGENERATION AND HIGH ESCULIN CONTENT IN CICHORIUM INTYBUS L., A POTENT MEDICINAL PLANT

Abstract

In the present investigation, we have been able to establish a high regeneration protocol from leaves of Cichorium intybus L., a medicinally important herb. Maximum number of shoots (8.58±0.31) with average length of 5.68 ± 0.20 cm was achieved on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium fortified with 1.0 mgl^-1 Kinetin (KN) and 0.5 mgl^-1 Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA).  Individual shoot implanted for rooting showed vigorous growth on MS medium supplemented with IAA (0.5 mgl^-1). Tissue culture raised plantlets were transferred for hardening in plastic pots containing soilrite and vermiculite (1:1). A total of 85.71% survival rate was recovered. Quantitative analysis of esculin content of in vitro and field grown plantlets was carried out by High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Esculin production was phenological stage specific, in 6 weeks regenerants esculin was 4.78 ± 0.10 mg g^-1 dw, whereas 5.81 ± 0.12mg g^-1 dw in in vitro flowering plants (10 weeks).