Rumex hastatus D. Don, a traditional medicinal plant known for its, antitumorous, antiangiogenic and antibacterial potential is continuously under threat of extinction due to over exploitation and climatic changes. Phytochemical analysis of different plant parts showed that roots had the maximum quantity of two bioactive molecules, luteolin and rutin and thus was selected for establishment of aseptic culture.In vitro technology has been employed for developing an e cient micropropagation protocols for its conservation, large scale production as well elicitation of the valuable bioactive compounds. Murashige and Skoog's medium supplemented with 5µM TDZ proved best for developing greenish-brown and compact calluses in 98% root cultures within 30 days. Such callus pieces on subculture to same but fresh medium differentiated an average of 10.50 ± 1.29 shoots which were elongated on MS basal medium. Such excised shoots, rooted in MS + 0.1 µM IBA medium with an average of 12.03 ± 2.49 roots per shoot.These plantlets were successfully acclimatized under greenhouse conditions and elds and their genetic delity was evaluated employing SRAP and SCoT markers which revealed their high similarity with mother plant proving their true-to-type nature. Interestingly, the in vitro regenerants showed elevated levels of phenols, avonoids, luteolin and rutin content and higher antioxidant activities over the mother plant as done by phosphomolybdenum and DPPH assays. For elicitation of bioactive compounds, 100 mg/L phenylalanine was best for enhancing optimum luteolin content (407.18 ± 10.58 µg/g d.w.) over control (22.10 ± 0.57 µg/g d.w.) almost, 17.42-fold, whereas for rutin, 25 mg/L chitosan proved most effective enhancing its synthesis up to 1169.07 ± 46.49 µg/g d.w. over control (312.41 ± 12.42 µg/g d.w.), i.e., 2.74-fold. To the best of our knowledge, this is our rst report on micropropagation and elicitation of luteolin and rutin in Rumex hastatus through root culture.
