Microshoot Formation from Shoot Tip of Aloe vera (L.) Under In Vitro Conditions

Abstract

Aloe (Aloe vera L.) is an important medicinal herb which is used in drug and cosmetic industry. It is vegetatively propagated but propagation rate is slow to obtain high quality planting materials for commercial cultivation. As a result it is necessary to use in vitro propagation method for a large scale plant production. Therefore this study was performed to find out suitable explants for shoot induction of Aloe under in vitro conditions. The explants were disinfected by 20% of Clorox for 30 min. Subsequently two types of explants namely shoot tips (1.5 cm long and 0.5 cm width) and leaf bases (0.5 x 0.5cm5) were excised from two months old plants and shoot tips were vertically dissected into four quarters. Sterilized explants were cultured on MS medium containing BAP (0, 1 and 2 mg/1) in combination with NAA (0.5 mg/I) to select suitable explants for initial culture establishment. Among these two explants, shoot tips gave the quickest response for initial shoot bud formation with the morphogenic response of 47.2% in the MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/fl BAP along with 0.5 mg/1 NAA. Further, shoot tips from two months and four months old plants were evaluated to select suitable mother plant for better culture establishment. Explants were placed on MS medium with 2 mg/1 BAP and 0.5 mg/1 NAA. The result revealed that shoot tips excised from two months old plants showed high morphogenic response within two weeks of culture.