Effect of plant growth regulators and melatonin on callus induction of white eggplant (Solanum melongena)

Eggplant or aubergine (Solanum melongena L.), is a famous non-tuberous crop grown in various tropical and temperate regions of the world. The eggplant belongs to the family Solaneceae (Kashyap et al., 2003Rotino & Gleddie, 1990) and is an economically important vegetable crop worldwide. In vitro micropropagation and tissue culture of eggplant has become an important technique not only due to the increasing world demand for the fruit but as well as the need for regeneration protocol involved in transformation focusing on gene studies (Billings et al., 1997). Early in vitro regeneration of eggplant was based on cell suspension and protoplast (Gleddie et al., 1983). More recent studies of eggplant regeneration also used anther, root and cotyledonary leaves (Franklin et al., 2004Khatun et al., 2006Shivaraj & Rao, 2011). The white variety of eggplant can be used as a model plant for transformation and novel gene studies involving pigment formation in eggplant and Solanaceae. However, up to now, there are no reports on the in vitro regeneration and transformation in the round white cultivar of eggplant. This study reports the observation of callus induction for white eggplant using cotyledon and hypocotyl as explants. (Copied from article)