In vitro propagation and plant regeneration of Torenia crustacea (L.) Charm. & Schltdl; an important ethnic medicinal plant

Torenia crustacea (L.) Charm. & Schltdl is an important medicinal herb used in India, Indonesia and Malaysia. This herb is used by Bodo tribes in the Bodoland Territorial Region, Assam to treat various diseases like diabetes. The present experiment developed an efficient protocol for in vitro mass propagation technique for Torenia crustacea species using its nodal explants. For tissue culture, the rapidly growing nodal explants of Torenia crustacea were used. Effective explant surface sterilisation was found at 15 min. of treatment with 2% sodium hypochlorite resulting in a maximum explant survival rate and a lower rate of explant contamination after 21 days of explant culture. Media containing full strength MS (Murashige and Skoog's) + BAP (6- Benzyl amino purine) (1 mg/l) were found most effective for the establishment of the explant. The highest shoot proliferation and multiplication were observed in the media containing full strength MS + BAP (1 mg/l) + NAA (Naphthalene acetic acid) (0.2 mg/l); in this combination, an average of 16 shoots formed per nodal explant. The rooting of explants was observed highest in MS media along with 0.4 mg/l concentration of NAA and 1 mg/l BA. The in vitro multiplied shoots were grown in plastic pots containing vermicompost fertiliser and soil mixture and successfully grown in the open field condition