Scientific innovation offers hope for threatened climbing plants through advanced biotechnological conservation strategies
Climbing plants, nature's masterful architects, weave through forests contributing significantly to ecosystem structure. In India, they are widely distributed from the Nilgiris to the Himalayas to the Andaman Nicobar Islands. These plants are far more than just botanical curiosities; they represent a vital natural capital for human societies, serving as sources of medicine, food, and non-timber forest products. 2
Tragically, this valuable resource is under severe threat. A huge number of medicinal climbers have been listed in the Red Data Book and are on the verge of extinction due to unsustainable collection, habitat loss, climate change, and industrialization coupled with urbanization. 2
Plant species go extinct every year, with climbing plants being particularly vulnerable 2
Found in over 125 families of flowering plants as well as among several fern groups and even one significant gymnosperm genus. 2
Climbers are largely used by all divisions of the population either directly as folk medications or indirectly in the preparation of pharmaceuticals. 2
The market demand for plant-based medicines has surged, as plant-based pharmaceutical drugs often offer advantages over synthetic ones. 2
Approximately 70% of identified medicinal plants in the Indian Himalayas face destructive harvesting, exacerbating their vulnerability. 2
Mass multiplication in sterile conditions
Germplasm preservation & transport
Long-term genetic storage
Genetic diversity assessment
| Reagent/Growth Regulator | Function |
|---|---|
| Murashige and Skoog (MS) Medium | Provides essential nutrients for plant growth in sterile conditions |
| Benzyl Aminopurine (BAP) | Cytokinin that promotes shoot multiplication |
| Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) | Auxin that stimulates root formation |
| Agar | Solidifies culture media for physical support |
| Calcium Alginate | Used for encapsulating somatic embryos 5 |
A threatened medicinal climber valued for its anti-asthmatic and anti-inflammatory properties. Researchers followed a multi-stage protocol to conserve and multiply this valuable species. 5
Healthy nodal segments from mature plants were selected, washed thoroughly, and surface-sterilized using disinfectants like 0.1% mercuric chloride solution.
The sterilized explants were inoculated onto Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with specific growth regulators, particularly cytokinins like Benzyl Aminopurine to promote shoot multiplication.
Developing shoots were transferred to fresh multiplication media, often with adjusted growth regulator combinations to optimize shoot proliferation.
Individual shoots were transferred to rooting media containing auxins like Indole-3-butyric acid to stimulate root development.
Well-rooted plantlets were carefully removed from culture vessels, washed to remove agar, and transferred to sterile soil mix in a controlled environment with high humidity before gradual exposure to field conditions.
Researchers achieved impressive multiplication rates of Tylophora indica within a relatively short time frame.
Plantlets derived from tissue culture maintained their genetic stability and medicinal properties comparable to their wild counterparts.
| Biotechnological Tool | Application |
|---|---|
| Elicitation | Using stressors to stimulate secondary metabolite production 6 |
| Hairy Root Culture | Producing genetically transformed roots for rapid growth |
| Precursor Feeding | Adding biochemical precursors to enhance metabolic pathways |
| Metabolic Engineering | Genetically modifying pathways for customized enhancement |
The race to conserve nature's medicinal treasures is underway, and science is providing the tools needed to win it.