Abstract

Momordica cymbalaria is a perennial climber accessible only during the Sornavari and late samba season and is found in tropical regions of India and Southeast Asia. The seed of this fruit remains dormant and the slow germination rate further curtails the propagation through seeds. This can be overcome by in vitro approach through plant regeneration by organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis. To achieve this, tissue culture system for plant regeneration was established. Protocols were developed for in vitro cultures of Momordica cymbalaria from seeds, root tubers, leaf, internode, and fruit explants. Surface sterilization conditions were also optimized for the explants used. One twenty trials were carried out for germination of seeds (both with and without seed coat) using four different surface sterilization conditions. Explants (leaf, root tubers, internode, fruit) were also cultured for callus induction in MS medium supplemented with different growth regulators at various concentrations. Leaf and internode served as viable explants for in vitro propagation. Callus was induced from leaf and internode explants when MS medium was supplemented with 1 mg/L and 5 mg/L of 2,4-D, respectively.