INDOLE ALKALOIDS IN CLONAL PROPAGULES OF RAUWOLFIA-SERPENTINA BENTHE EX KURZ

Plantlets were succesfully regenerated from shoot cultures of Rauwolfi a selpentina initiated from auxiliary meristems on medium containing B A (4.44 mu M) + NAA (0.54 mu M). Rooting was initiated in White's basa l medium supplemented with NAA (0.54 mu M). Tissue culture derived pla nts of R. serpentina (RSTC) were similar to normal plants (RS) in thei r morphological characteristics and chemical consitution. The biomass of the RSTC plants was higher (47.11 gms) than the normal plant (18.23 gms) on a dry weight basis. Five RSTC plants were cloned and the clon ed plants were similar in biomass and alkaloid content to the normal p lant.