In vitro conservation and genetic homogeneity assessment of Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub. Var. lutea (Witt.) Maheshwari-A potential pharmaceutical legume tree

A simple and an efficient in vitro regeneration system was developed in Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub. Var. lutea (Witt.) (Maheswari, Fabaceae), using cotyledonary node explants derived from axenic seedlings. The induction of shoots was achieved on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) or Kinetin (Kn) alone. The regeneration medium with BAP (4.44 μM) alone showed the highest mean number of shoots (7.0 ± 0.82), increased shoot length (3.0 ± 0.73) and 70% regeneration response within 21 days. Further, shoot elongation was achieved when microshoots were cultured on ½ MS medium supplemented with BAP (4.44 μM) with an average shoot length of 6.92 ± 0.73. The elongated shoots were rooted on half-strength MS medium without plant growth regulators (PGRs). The rooted plants were established in soil with 90% success rate. Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to assess the Genetic fidelity of four tissue cultured plants growing in greenhouse condition with mother plant. The monomorphic banding pattern in vitro raised plants with respect to the mother plant confirms genetic stability and reliability of our in vitro propagation method for B. monosperma. The developed one step protocol facilitates rapid production of true-to-type B. monosperma plants.