title: Cytokinin induced shoot regeneration and flowering of Scoparia dulcis L. (Scrophulariaceae)-an ethnomedicinal herb.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop an improved protocol for micropropagation of ethnomedicinally important Scoparia dulcis (S. dulcis) L.
  
  
  METHODS
  Explants were inoculated on MS basal medium supplemented with kinetin and 6-benzylaminopurine for shoot bud induction. To enhance the shoot induction, various auxins like 3-indoleacetic acid or 3-indolebutyric acid or α-naphthylacetic acid were tested along with 2.32 M KI and 4.44 µM BAP. The regenerated shoots were rooted in half strength MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of IAA, IBA or NAA. After roots were developed, the plantlets were transplanted to pots filled with vermiculate and sand and kept in growth chamber with 70%-80% humidity under 16 h photoperiod. After acclimatization, the plantlets were transferred to the garden and survival percentage was calculated. Data were statistically analyzed and means were compared using Duncan's multiple range test (P<0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  An in vitro method was developed to induce high frequency shoots regeneration from stem, mature leaf and young leaf explants of S. dulcis. Shoot induction on young leaf explants was most successful in MS medium supplemented with combination of two cytokinins (2.32 µM KI and 4.44 µM BAP) 2.85 µM IAA, 10% CM and 1 483.79 µM adenine sulfate. A single young leaf explant was capable of producing 59 shoots after 13 days of culture. Flower was induced in medium supplemented with combination of KI and BAP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cytokinins are the key factor to induce the direct shoot regeneration and flowering of S. dulcis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Virudhunagar Hindu Nadars' Senthikumara Nadar College, Virudhunagar-626 001, Tamilnadu, India.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Premkumar
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sankaranarayanan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jeeva
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rajarathinam
mesh_terms: D003583:Cytokinins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D035264:Flowers / Q000187:drug effects*; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D010641:Phenotype; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000187:drug effects*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012038:Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D036721:Scoparia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003583:Cytokinins; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids
keywords: Auxin; Bud induction; Cytokinin; Ethnomedicinal herb; Explant; Flowering; Micropropagation; Regeneration; Scoparia dulcis; Shoot induction; Survival percentage