Plant regeneration from embryogenic callus-derived from immature leaves of Momordica charantia L

Labodé Hospice Stevenson Naïtchédé; Aggrey Bernard Nyende; Steven Runo; Allen Johnny Borlay

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22122

Plant regeneration from embryogenic callus-derived from immature leaves of Momordica charantia L

Heliyon. 2023 Nov 11;9(11):e22122. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22122. eCollection 2023 Nov.

Authors

Labodé Hospice Stevenson Naïtchédé¹, Aggrey Bernard Nyende², Steven Runo³, Allen Johnny Borlay⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Pan African University, Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation, P.O. Box 62000, 00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
² Department of Horticulture and Food Security, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O. Box 62000, 00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
³ Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Biotechnology, Kenyatta University (K.U.), P.O. Box 43844-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
⁴ Department of Biological Sciences, University of Liberia, P. O. Box 10-9020, Monrovia, Liberia.

Abstract

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.), a widely cultivated food and medicinal plant native to the world's subtropics and tropics, is a Cucurbitaceae rich in carotenoids. However, the low seed germination frequency and progeny variability associated with the production of this plant have a substantial impact on its growth and yield. These constraints affect the availability and exploitation of this crop, especially the fruits, which are rich in secondary metabolites such as β-carotene and α-carotene. In vitro regeneration would help overcome the obstacle linked to the germination of this plant and increase its yield and utilization. A reproducible in vitro organogenesis protocol was established using bitter melon embryogenic callus derived from immature leaf explants of in vivo grown seedlings and in vitro plantlets. Regeneration via callus was conducted on MSB5 media augmented with different plant growth regulator concentrations. The maximum frequency of callus formation (95.09 %) was produced in MSB5 media incorporated with 1.2 mg L^-1 NAA augmented with 0.5 mg L^-1 TDZ. MSB5 medium with no growth regulators was observed to be the most suitable for the shoot and root formation from the callus, producing a significantly high shoot percentage of 90.91 % and 21.53 shoots per explants, and the highest rooting frequency and root number of 88.92 % and 6.23 roots per explant, respectively, from leaf-derived callus of in vitro plantlets. The elongated plantlets had grown to a significantly higher average height of 12.20 cm on media added with 0.75 mg L^-1 GA₃. This reproducible method for regenerating bitter melon plantlets could facilitate mass multiplication, conservation, and commercial field production.

Keywords: Bitter melon; Callus induction; Leaf explants; Root induction; Shoot induction; shoot elongation.