This study describes a protocol for rapid and large-scale in vitro propagation of the valuable medicinal herb Vitis thunbergii Sieb. et Zucc.. Culture conditions influencing shoot proliferation and rooting of the two clones (three- and five-lobed) were examined. Three medium formulations, Murashige-Skoog (MS), Woody Plant Medium (WPM) and Nitsch and Nitsch (NN) medium, were tested for growth of shoot tip culture, and WPM was found to have a superior proliferation rate. The chlorophyll content of leaves was highest in those cultured on NN, followed by those on MS and WPM medium. WPM medium supplemented with 0.5 mg l(-1) 6-benzyladenine (BA) displayed the highest proliferation rate (15-19 nodes or 3-4 shoots per explant). The rooting was optimized using MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg l(-1) napthaleneacetic (NAA) with eight roots, 3 cm, long after I month of culture. High frequency callus formation was observed in the basal end of explants cultured on NAA-containing medium. Following acclimatization, rooting plantlets were transferred to the plastic house with a 95% survival rate. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
