Tamilselvan V. and Rajeswari M.
In vitro callogenesis was achieved from the leaf explants of Asystasia gangetica (L) T. Anderson, an important medicinal plant belonging to the family Acanthaceae. The leaf explants were inoculated on MS medium provided with 3% sucrose and 0.8% agar, supplemented with various concentrations and combinations of 2,4-D, NAA, IAA, IBA, BAP and KIN. The inoculated explants were maintained in culture room at 250C± 20C and 16 hr light period. Healthy, profuse, green and fast growing callus but with low regenerative capacity was observed on MS medium provided with 15μM NAA in combination with 3μM BAP and 3μM KIN. 2,4-D showed sticky , fragile, white and non-regenerative callus but with poor callus induction percentage. The other two auxins, IAA and IBA showed better callus induction in combination with cytokinins and the callus so formed were pale green to brown. The synergistic effect of auxins with cytokinins in callus induction was found to be better. This is the first report of in vitro callogenesis in Asystasia gangetica
