Abstract:
Jatropha curcus seeds (immature, mature and fully matured) were collected and
surface sterilized using different concentrations of clorox (5.25% Sodium
Hypochlorite -NaOCl) with different exposure time durations followed by 70% and
100% ethanol for two minutes. Seeds were established in MS (Murashige and
Skoog, 1962), WPM (Lloyd and McCown, 1980) and B5 (Gamberg et al 1968)
medium with and without using lg/L activated charcoal. Shoot tips were excised
from in vitro germinated seedlings and cultured on B5 media containing different
combinations of Benzyl Amino Purine (BAP), Kinetin (Kin) and Naphthalene
Acetic Acid (NAA). Experiments were designed according to Completely
Randomized Design (CRD) and replicated 20 times. Data were analyzed using SAS
computer software. Results revealed that 100% NaOCl for 30 minutes exposure
time followed by 100% alcohol for two minutes exposure time recorded 100% non
contamination. Mature seeds in B5 medium showed early seed germination and best
seedling growth than immature and fully mature seeds in both MS and WPM media.
Shoots proliferated on B5 medium containing BAP, Kin and NAA resulting highest
number of shoots (6.6 shoots per explant). Therefore J. curcus seeds can be
successfully surface sterilized using commercially available clorox and ethanol and
they can be germinated in vitro in B5 medium. Shoot tips excised from seedlings
can be proliferated using BAP, Kin and NAA.
