Methods were developed in the present investigation for cloning and large scale plant production of Passiflora foetida L. germplasm selected from the East-Coast region of South India. Nodal shoot segments were used as explants. The explants were dressed and surface sterilized with 0.1% (w/v) HgCl 2 . Multiple shoots were induced (6.13 ± 0.22 shoots per explant) by proliferation of nodal shoot meristems on Murashige and Skoog (MS) semi-solid medium + 2.0 mg l À1 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). The shoots of P. foetida were further multiplied (16.45 ± 0.44 shoots per explant) on MS medium + 0.5 mg l À1 each of BAP and Kinetin (Kin). The in vitro generated shoots were rooted on half-strength MS medium containing 2.5 mg l À1 indole-3 butyric acid (IBA). By this method 67% shoots were rooted. About 97% shoots were rooted ex vitro (8.33 ± 0.29 roots per shoot) when the cut ends of the shoots were treated with 300 mg l À1 IBA for 5 min. The in vitro rooted plants were hardened and acclimatized in the greenhouse and successfully (100%) transplanted to the field. Ó 2015 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf

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Alkannin, a red-purple dye and bioactive compound found in the roots of Arnebia hispidissima has antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties and is also used in cosmetic and textile industries at a large-scale. In the present communication, we demonstrate the establishment of callus and cell suspension culture of A. hispidissima with the aim of optimizing the production of alkannin. Highest alkannin content was recorded in cell suspension and callus culture established on M-9 medium. Production of alkannin was influenced by the different culture medium. Evaluation of alkannin content of roots of field-grown plants and in vitro grown cell, tissue and organ showed that alkannin production was higher in all in vitro grown culture systems (cell suspension, callus and roots) than the roots of fieldgrown plants. The present investigation may be applicable in designing systems for the large-scale cultivation of A. hispidissima cell suspensions for the production of alkannin.

Micropropagation techniques allow producing large numbers of clones of genetically identical plants. However, there is evidence of disorders in internal structures due to sophisticated in vitro conditions. Such variations are responsible for the mortality of plantlets in the field and cause huge loss to the tissue culture industry. Anatomical evaluation at different growth conditions allows for understanding structural repair of in vitro raised plantlets. Therefore, the present study was aimed to identify the structural changes that occurred in micropropagated plants of Vitex negundo under heterotrophic, photomixotrophic, and photoautotrophic conditions. To achieve this, structural variations were analyzed in the plantlets obtained from in vitro, greenhouse and field transferred stages using light microscopy. Underdeveloped dermal tissues, palisade cells, intercellular spaces, mechanical tissues, vascular bundles, and ground tissues were observed with the plants growing under in vitro conditions. The self-repairing of structural disorders and transitions in vegetative anatomy was observed during hardening under the greenhouse environment. Field transferred plantlets were characterized by well-developed internal anatomy. These findings showed that the micropropagated plantlets of V. negundo were well-adapted through a series of self-repairing the in vitro induced structural abnormalities at the subsequent stages of plant development.