Embryo culture of Costus speciosus (Koen.) Sm. to regenerate variable diosgenin yielding clones.
Mature embryos of Costus speciosus were excised and cultured on Schenk and Hildebrandt's (1972) nutrient medium containing auxins and cytokinins either alone or in combination. Multiple shoots were obtained when kinetin and indole-3-butyric acid were supplemented each at 0.1 mg 1(-1) concentration. Embryo-derived plantlets were multiplied through propagation of rhizomes and the propagules derived from a single embryo were designated as an embryoclone. Twenty such embryo-clones were maintained in the field. Variations in rhizome biomass yield and diosgenin contents of these embryoclones were noted. Thirty-six percent of the embryo-clones studied were high diosgenin yielding types. Diosgenin contents at the intraclonal level were uniform. The in vitro raised plants were morphologically uniform and indistinguishable from their parent.
Plant Molecular and Cellular Genetics Unit, Bose Institute, P1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, 700054, Kankurgachi, Calcutta, India.
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