The Effect of Heavy Metals on In Vitro Adventitious Shoot Production and Bacoside A Content in Bacopa Monnieri (L)

Abstract

In the present study the effect of heavy metals (MnSO 4, ZnSO 4 and CuSO 4 ) on adventitious shoot regeneration, biomass and bacoside A accumulation in Bacopa monnieri was carried out. The leaf explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2.0 mg l -1 kinetin (Kin) with varying concentration of heavy metals (Control: Mn-0.10 mM, Zn-0.03 mM and Cu- 0.0001mM; Mn: 0.20, 0.40, 0.80 and 1.60 mM; Zn: 0.06, 0.12, 0.24 and 0.48 mM; Cu: 0.02, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20 mM). Optimum number of adventitious shoots (123.50 shoot/explants), fresh weight (3.826 g) and dry weight (0.226 g) of Bacopa monnieri were obtained in the medium with 0.12 mM Zn concentration. The highest production