| Introduction: | | | | chloride (HgCl2) Solution plus 3-4 drops of Tween 20 |
| Operculina turpethum (syn. Ipomoea turpethum, | | | | in 100 ml for 8 min with gentle shaking. Sterilized |
| convulvulaceae) is large evergreen perennial climber | | | | explants will be washed 4-6 time with sterile distilled |
| blooms with fragrant showy flowers. The plant is | | | | water to remove the effect of mercuric chloride. |
| native to Indian subcontinent although it can also be | | | | Then the explants will be cultured in MS medium ( |
| found in the Pacific Islands, China and Australia . In | | | | Murashige and Skoog, 1962) containing different |
| Bangladesh, found in the north-westtern districts and | | | | concentration and combinations of BAP, Kin, NAA, |
| Chittagong homestead shrubberies. A resinous | | | | and GA3 for multiple shoot induction . The induced |
| substance (turpethin) obtained form root bark of the | | | | shoot will be sub cultured in medium having different |
| plant is a mild purgative and used in cases of debility, | | | | combination of GA3 and Kin for proper elongation. |
| toxicity, etc (Ahmed, 1997). Paste of the root is used | | | | Roots will be induced and proliferated in developed |
| as an external application in hemorrhoids, chancres | | | | plantlets using different concentrations of IAA and |
| and ulcerations. Oil extracted from the root bark is | | | | IBA. |
| used in diseases of a scaly nature. The fresh juice of | | | | |
| leaves is dropped into the eyes for inducing | | | | Economic importance of the proposed research: |
| lachrymation in opthalmia. Unfortunately, this very | | | | In our commodities the Economic importance of |
| important medicinal plant now enlisted as endangered | | | | Ipomoea turpethum is increasingly in great demand. |
| species in Bangladesh and its neighboring countries | | | | Because it has medicinal importance. The active |
| (Ahmed, 1997). In vitro culture method provides new | | | | principle of the leaves is a cardiotonic substance |
| means of conserving and rapidly propagating valuable, | | | | named oleandrin. It has anti-inflammatory and |
| rare and endangered medicinal plants (Nalawade et al., | | | | stimulant properties. The roots, bark and seeds |
| 2003). A well-established protocol including plant | | | | contain cardio-active glycosides, formerly designated |
| regeneration from tissue, organ etc. Would help plant | | | | as neriodorin, neriodorein and karabin, which are |
| population from being extinct. The advantage of the | | | | anti-inflammatory and stimulant, good pain relievers. A |
| technique are the space exploitation, the | | | | paste of the root is used as an external application in |
| improvement of the sanitary conditions of the plants | | | | hemorrhoids, chancres and ulcerations. Oil extracted |
| and the facilitation of international germplasm | | | | from the root bark is used in skin diseases of a scaly |
| exchange ( Alderete et al., 2006). | | | | nature. The fresh juice of leaves is dropped into the |
| A revision of the available literature showed no | | | | eyes for inducing lachrymation in ophthalmia. This |
| previous report on tissue culture of this important | | | | demand is increasingly becoming acute because of |
| species. Consequently, the developed tissue culture | | | | their non-availability, owing to adverse climatic |
| technique will increase the scarce knowledge about | | | | conditions, pests, and political instability in cropping |
| the in vitro responses of this native germplalm with | | | | areas, misuse and overexploitation. Man medicinally |
| potential relevance as an endangered medicinal plant. | | | | important plants are already threatened in their |
| | | | | natural habitats. There is a growing need to preserve |
| Materials methods: | | | | these plants either in vivo or in vitro because of the |
| Shoot tip and nodal segments of field grown plants | | | | uniqueness of this species. |
| will be used as experimental materials. MS medium | | | | 1. References: |
| with different combination and concentration of | | | | 1. Ahmed, N.1997. Wild flowers of Bangladesh. The |
| growth regulators will be used for massive micro | | | | University press linited , University of Dhaka. |
| propagation, Callus will be also induced using in vitro | | | | 2. Alderete et. al. 2006. Establishment of an in vitro |
| explants. Culturing nodal segments having auxiliary bud | | | | micropropagation protocol for Mecardonia tenella . |
| of mature pants has carried out micro propagation of | | | | Elect. J. Biotechnol. 9(3):263-266 (special isssue). |
| Ipomoea turpethum. Plant materials will be collected | | | | 3. kapil, A , Koul, I.b. Banejee, S.K. and Gupta, b.d., |
| from wild population of Rajshahi University Campus, | | | | Antihepatotoxic effects of major diterpenoids |
| Bangladesh Initially; the collected nodes will be | | | | constituents of Andrographis paniculata. biochem. |
| washed with Savlon (commercial disinfectant, ACI | | | | Pharmacol.,1993,46,182-185. |
| Parma, Bangladesh) for 5 min followed by treatment | | | | 4. Murashige, T. and F. Skoog. 1962. A revised |
| with 70% v/v in ethanol for 3 min in shaking. Finally | | | | medium for rapid growth and bioassay with tobacco |
| the explants will be sterilized 0.1% w/v mercuric | | | | tissue culture. Plant Physiol. 15: 473-497. |