Evaluation of sterilants on the establishment of in vitro regeneration protocol in Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers.

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Published Sep 20, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v17i3.6790

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Sukni Bui
Applied Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli-791109, India
Madhu Kamle
Applied Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli-791109, India; Department of Biochemistry, University of Lucknow, Lucknow-226007 (Uttar Pradesh), India
Pradeep Kumar
Applied Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Lucknow, Lucknow-226007 (Uttar Pradesh), India

Abstract

Litsea cubeba holds significant commercial value due to its essential oils and pharmacological properties. Establishing an effective in vitro culture system is crucial for mass propagation and conservation of this species. However, microbial contaminants present a common challenge, often hindering the establishment of in vitro cultures. The present study was conducted to establish and maintain in vitro cultures of L. cubeba. The sterilants, viz., mercuric chloride (HgCl2) and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), were evaluated at different concentrations (0.1, 0.2%) and exposure times (3, 5, 7 minutes for HgCl2; 10, 15, 20 minutes for NaOCl) to assess their contamination and survival rates. Among all the treatments tested, treatment 11 (T11) with 0.2% NaOCl for 15 minutes was found to be the most effective , with a survival rate of 97.30% and a contamination rate of 6.76%. The study revealed that NaOCl when applied at optimized concentrations, effectively reduced microbial contamination while maintaining higher explant viability. In contrast, although HgCl2 demonstrated strong antimicrobial action, it resulted in increased tissue damage and lower survival due to its phytotoxic nature. Extended exposure and higher concentrations of both sterilants significantly affected explant viability and inhibited shoot regeneration. These findings suggest that NaOCl is a more suitable and environment friendly alternative for sterilization in L. cubeba culture establishment. The study contributes toward developing a standardized sterilization protocol for efficient micropropagation and conservation of this valuable species.


 

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Keywords

Litsea cubeba, sodium hypochlorite, surface sterilization, sterilant, tissue culture

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Issue
Vol 17 No 3 (2025)
Section
Research Articles
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How to Cite

Evaluation of sterilants on the establishment of in vitro regeneration protocol in Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. (2025). Journal of Applied and Natural Science, 17(3), 1240-1244. https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v17i3.6790