MICROPROPAGATION, PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF A WILD EPIPHYTIC ORCHID ACAMPE PRAEMORSA (ROXB) OF KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT, INDIA

R. Mary Suja* and B. Christudhas Williams

ABSTRACT

Orchids are most abundant in the forest of Western Ghats of India have been threatened in their natural habitat due to habit dilapidation and anthropogenic activities. The scarcity of pollinators and poor seed setting are the major constraints in the natural propagation, leading to a continuous depletion of its natural population. Propagation from seeds is held back by low germination and survival rates due to the inept environmental conditions as a result their wild populations are diminishing at an alarming rate. The large-scale production of Acampe praemorsa (Roxb) requires efficient invitro propagation techniques to avoid overexploitation of natural populations. The immature embryos were inoculated on MS media, along with and devoid of different growth additives. The culture seeds showed positive germination response in the nutrient media but the frequency and onset of germination response and associated morphogenetic changes leading to seedling development varied with the nature of growth stimulus. In the basal MS medium 43.75±0.75% seeds were germinated (control). MS media supplemented with coconut water (CW) (15%), supported highest germination (70.75±0.75%) induced protocorm multiplication and complete seedlings were obtained in 131.50±1.73 days. Additional presence of activated charcoal (AC) (0.2%) in the MS medium inhibited the seed germination, while use of coconut water (15%) or (2 g/L) in the medium, favoured enhance early germination response and differentiation of protocorms.

Keywords: Acampe praemorsa, phytochemicals, antioxidant, micropropagation.