Micropropagation of Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.): A promising medicinal plant in Libya

Abstract

Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.) is a promising medicinal plant that grows wild as a weed in Libya. Tissue culture approach was utilized for Micropropagation of this plant to insure its stable availability for phytoindustry and research. In vitro shoot multiplication was examined by culturing nodal explants on MS media supplemented with either BAP, kinetin or TDZ at 0, 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5 mg/L plus 0.1 mg/L NAA. For rooting, microshoots were cultured on MS media enriched with either, IBA, NAA or IAA at 0, 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5 mg/L and were added to the media to enhance microshoots rooting. The results revealed that a satisfactory shoot multiplication was obtained when TDZ was added to MS media, and the maximum number of the new shoots per explant 15 shoot/ explant was recorded in nodal segments treated with 1.5 mg/L TDZ with an average height of 2.06 cm. Best rooting 6.7 roots/ explant was obtained in microshoots cultured on Growth regulators –free media, While auxin- treated microshoots showed best rooting by using IBA at 1.5 mg/L as it yielded 80% rooting percentage with 4.9 root/ explant and average root length of 1.95 cm. Moreover, all potted plantlets were successfully acclimatized, and 100% survival rate was recorded in all plants one month after being transplanted to greenhouse conditions.

Keywords: Black nightshade, Solanum nigrum , Micropropagation.