ABSTRACT
Background: Rosa centifoliais commercially propagated by asexual means but in vitro propagation ensure the production of disease free and healthy plants and browning of explants creates hurdle in their multiplication
Objectives: The aim was to reduce oxidative browning of shoots of R. centifolia in MS medium during in vitro propagation
Materials and Methods: Axillary buds of R. centifolia were sterilized with 70% ethyl alcohol for 4 min and 5% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min followed by three washing with sterilized double distilled water. In order to control oxidative browning, Ascorbic acid [100 mg.L[-1]], citric acid [100 mg.L[-1]] and activated charcoal [3 g.L[-1]] were used while to control withering of shoots, different concentrations [3.0 mg.L[-1], 6.0 mg.L[-1], 9.0 mg.L[-1]] of either glutamine, asparagine and proline were put into trial. Different concentrations of Benzyl aminopurine [BAP] and naphthalene acetic acid [NAA] were used for in vitro shoot and root formation
Results: Minimum browning percentage [20%] was achieved in the presence of activated charcoal [3.0 g.L[-1]] and pretreatment of explants with running tap water. Asparagin [9.0 mg.L[-1]] produced maximum shooting [93%], minimum withering [6.67%], and it took longer period [27 days] for shoots to wither. BAP [3.0 mg.L[-1]] + NAA [0.5 mg.L[-1]] was produced the highest number of shoots [1.63], in a shortest periods [9 days]. For root production, NAA [1.5 mg.L[-1]] + BAP [0.5 mg.L[-1]] reduced the time to 11 days with maximum number of roots [4.33] and root length [4.20 cm]
Conclusions: The supplement of activated charcoal [3.0 g.L[-1]], a sparagin [9.0 mg.L[-1]] and combination of BAP and NAA in the MS medium is effective for in vitro propagation of R. centifolia