Improvement of mangosteen micropropagation through meristematic nodular callus formation from in vitro-derived leaf explants

A four-step procedure was used for plant regeneration from leaf explants (5 -15 mm long) excised from in vitro grown plantlets of mangosteen. Leaf expl ants formed callus (66.8%) on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) with 2.22 muM benzyladenine (BA) and 2.25 muM thidiazuron (TDZ) at 3 weeks of culture. T he mean number of nodules in the calli on this medium after four serial sub cultures was 4.45 nodules per explant. A mean number of 9.3 shoots per expl ant were induced on woody plant medium (WPM) supplemented with 0.44 muM BA. Shoot elongation (5-6 shoots per explant) at 80-90% was obtained by transf erring shoot to the same medium overlayed with half strength liquid MS with 0.32 muM naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 0.13 muM BA. Shoots were success fully rooted at 68.2% on WPM with 1.11 muM BA plus 0.25% activated charcoal . The plantlets were successfully established in soil in pots after acclima tisation. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.