Abstract

INVITRO MICROPROPAGATION OF BACOPA MONNIERI, ITS ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY

M.Krishnaveni* and C. Ragina Banu

Abstract

Bacopa monnieri (BM) is a small, creeping, glabrous, succulent herb possessing antioxidant, antimicrobial properties and widely used by ayurvedic system of medicine since olden days. Hence, it was decided to standardize micropropagation protocol of Bacopa monnieri for surface sterilization, suitable media for aseptic culture initiation, establishment and multiplication, rooting, optimization of medium for callus induction, analyse phytochemical contents, antimicrobial activity. The best medium observed for initiation and development in terms of bud breakage percentage, cluster formation and maximum shoot length were BM1 (MS+0.5 mg/l BAP + 0.5 mg/l NAA) with shoot length of 4.2 cm; 80% bud breakage and 65% cluster formation and BM3 (MS+4 mg/l BAP + 0.4 mg/l NAA) with shoot length of 3.8 cm; 100% bud breakage but cluster formation rate was low but this rate increased further in the multiplication stage when compared to BM4 (0.5 mg/l BAP + 0.5 mg/l.), BM5 (MS+ 1.0mg/l BAP + 1.0mg/l) medium. Multiplication stage was good with BM3 (4 mg/l BAP + 0.4 mg/l NAA) and BM1 (0.5 mg/l BAP + 0.5 mg/l NAA) continued to give best results for the average shoot length of 5.3 cm in BM3 and 4.60 cm in BM1. Extracts was found to have antimicrobial activity on K. pneumoniae, P. aerugenosa, B.stearothermophilus, B. substilis and S. aureus with zones of inhibitions ranging from 10-26mm.

Keywords: Antimicrobial, Brahmi, Callus, Micro-propagation, Medium.