Celastrus paniculatus willd. (Celastraceae) is a large woody climber and possesses sesquiterpene alkaloids, namely, celapagine, celapanigine, celapanine and celastrol, used in traditional system of medicine for various disorders. The present investigation is an effort to establish protocols for micropropagation of C. paniculatus. The shoots were used as explants and cultured on MS media supplemented with phytohormones in different combinations, combination of BAP (1.0 mg L-1) + 5% coconut water produced multiple shoots. The in vitro regenerated shoots were excised aseptically and implanted on half and quarter strength of MS media with growth regulators at different concentrations for rooting. Half strength MS medium + NAA 0.5 mg L-1 induced maximum rooting.

Celastrus paniculatus Willd. (Celastraceae) is a large woody climbing shrub, commonly known as malkangani, climbing staff tree, jyotishmati, etc., and is a rare and endangered important medicinal plant distributed throughout India up to an altitude of 1,200 m. The species is vulnerable in Western Ghats of south India (Rajasekharan and Ganeshan, 2002). Seeds of this plant are the source of an ayurvedic drug jyotishmati used in treating rheumatism, gout and neurological disorder. C. paniculatus is well known for its ability to improve memory (Nadkarni, 1976). Pharmacological studies suggest that the oil obtained from the seeds possesses sedative and anticonvulsant properties (Gatinode et al., 1957). Seed oil was found to be beneficial to psychiatric patients (Hakim, 1964) and increased the intelligence quotient of mentally retarded children (Nalini et al., 1995). Seeds are useful in abdominal disorders, leprosy, skin diseases, fever and for stimulating the intellect (Prajapati et al., 2003). Leaf sap is an emmenagogue and antidote for opium poisoning (warrier et al., 1994). Chemical constituents of seeds, as revealed by photochemical analysis, are sesquiterpene alkaloids like celapagine, celapanigine and celapanine (Anonymous, 1992).

The conventional method of propagation of this medicinally important plant is through seeds. Poor seed viability and germination (11.5%) restrict the use of seeds in multiplication (Rekha et al., 2005). Further C. paniculatus is threatened with extinction due to its overexploitation by local people, government agencies and various pharmaceutical houses. Due to this reason, there is a need for in vitro propagation of C. paniculatus to satisfy the growing commercial demand of the plant for the production of life-supporting alkaloids and conservation of this valuable endangered plant itself. Hence, improvements in plant tissue culture techniques for the mass propagation of C. paniculatus are highly desirable. The present study deals with in vitro propagation through direct regeneration from apical and nodal tissues of field grown C. paniculatus.

Genetics & Evolution Journal, CEL-I Endonuclease, Heterozygous Mutants, Homozygous Mutants, Biological Processes, Plant Mutants, Solanum Lycopersicon, Microcentrifuge Tubes, Homozygous Plants, Plant Genes, Cross Pollination, Heteroduplex Formation.