Abstract
An efficient protocol has been developed for rapid micropropagation of Ocimum basilicum. Multiple shoots were induced by culturing shoot tip explants excised from mature plants on a liquid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 5-100 mu M of thidiazuron (TDZ) for different treatment duration (4, 8, 12 and 16 d). The optimal level of TDZ supplementation to the culture medium was 50 mu M for 8 d induction period followed by subculturing in MS medium devoid of TDZ as it produced maximum regeneration frequency (78 %), mean number of shoots (11.6 +/- 1.16) and shoot length (4.8 +/- 0.43 cm) per explant. A culture period longer than 8 d with TDZ resulted in the formation of fasciated or distorted shoots. The regenerated shoots rooted best on MS medium containing 1.0 mu M indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The micropropagated shoots with well developed roots were successfully established in pots containing garden soil and grown in greenhouse with 95 % survival rate. The regenerated plants were morphologically uniform and exhibited similar growth characteristics and vegetative morphology to the donor plants.