Biotechnological interventions for propagation, conservation and improvement of 'Lantern Flowers' (Ceropegia spp.)

The lantern flowers (genus: Ceropegia L. - Apocynaceae) are among the most fascinating group of flowering plants which comprises of over 200 species of herbs and climbers. Although most of the species have appreciable importance as a source of edible tubers, ornamental flowers and implications in folk medicine, the conventional propagation techniques limit the mass propagation and their commercialization. Plant tissue culture and other biotechnological tools proved their importance in breeding and large-scale propagation of lantern flowers. In recent past, numerous in vitro regeneration approaches for micropropagation and conservation have been established for lantern flowers. Molecular markers represent powerful tools for constructing phylogenetics, taxonomic confirmations and reconsiderations of lantern flowers. Moreover, molecular markers are routinely used for ascertaining genetic integrity among the micropropagated clones of lantern flowers. This review provides comprehensive information on the biotechnological interventions for propagation, conservation, and improvement of lantern flowers. Protocols for various in vitro regeneration approaches, genetic composition, genetic fidelity analysis and in vitro secondary metabolite production are compared and optimized results are highlighted.