The Efficient and Easy Micropropagation Protocol of Phyllanthus niruri

Area of Science:

• Plant Biotechnology
• Horticultural Science
• Medicinal Plant Research

Background:

• Phyllanthus niruri (P. niruri), a traditional herbal remedy, faces overharvesting due to its medicinal properties.
• Wild P. niruri scarcity necessitates sustainable methods for its propagation and availability.
• Existing knowledge gaps in efficient in vitro propagation hinder large-scale production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an optimized in vitro culture protocol for mass production of Phyllanthus niruri.
• To establish efficient methods for shoot multiplication and in vitro root induction.
• To provide a foundation for the commercialization of P. niruri.

Main Methods:

• Aseptic culture establishment and explant multiplication using various basal media and plant growth regulators.
• In vitro rooting induction using different auxins (indole-3-butyric acid) and concentrations.
• Optimization of sterilization (Clorox®), media strength (Murashige and Skoog - MS), and plant growth regulators.

Main Results:

• 30% Clorox® treatment yielded the lowest contamination (4.44%).
• Full-strength MS media without cytokinin optimized shoot number (5.0), length (3.68 cm), and leaf count (27.33).
• 2.5 µM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) resulted in the highest root number (17.92) and length (1.29 cm), with >80% plantlet survival post-acclimatization.

Conclusions:

• An effective in vitro propagation protocol for Phyllanthus niruri has been successfully developed.
• The established protocol enables efficient multiplication and acclimatization of P. niruri plantlets.
• This research is a significant step towards the commercial cultivation and utilization of P. niruri.