Abstract
•Stable micropropagation system for an underutilized five-leaved yam was developed.•Meta Topolin increased the rate of shoot multiplication than the TDZ.•Meta Topolin and IAA enhanced biochemicals and photopigments in the leaves.•In vitro plants showed homogeneity with mother plant (SCoT molecular markers).
The present investigation describes the efficacy of aromatic and synthetic cytokinins, which influence the direct organogenesis, biochemical responses, and ex vitro and in vivo performance of the in vitro propagated plantlets of Dioscorea pentaphylla L., an underrated famine tuber crop. The axillary shoot bud induction was achieved on the Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with 1.0 mg L−1 meta Topolin (mT) (96.9%) and 1.0 mg L−1 Thidiazuron (TDZ) (82.4%). The sprouted shoots were proliferated using 0.5 mg L−1 mT combined with 0.1 mg L−1 indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) with the maximum average number of 43.0 ± 1.29 shoots (7.2 ± 0.55 cm length). The shoots proliferated on mT and IAA combination demonstrated the presence of higher concentrations of carbohydrates and photosynthetic pigment contents in the leaves as compared with TDZ and IAA derived leaves. The healthy micro-shoots were rooted on a half-strength MS medium containing 1.0 mg L−1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) with the development of 12.6 ± 0.38 roots (5.9 ± 0.22 cm length). The plantlets were acclimatized in a greenhouse and showed 100% survival under in vivo conditions. The clonal fidelity of the regenerants was evaluated for the first time using Start codon targeted (SCoT) markers. Thirteen primers amplified 62 well-resolved bands and ranged from 1-8 bands. There were no somaclonal variations detected among the regenerants of D. pentaphylla with the mother plant.