Rapid Establishment of Multiple Shoot Buds and Plant Regeneration from Leaf Explants of the Medicinal plant Solanum nigrum L.

Solanum nigrum, a herbaceous plant belonging to the family Solanaceae, is one of the well-documented medicinal plants used in traditional folk medicine worldwide. In the present study, a rapid and reproducible protocol was standardized for multiple shoot bud induction and plant regeneration using leaf explant cultures of S. nigrum L. Direct organogenesis of adventitious shoots was achieved on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with various concentrations and combinations of plant growth regulators (PGRs), namely benzylaminopurine (BAP), kinetin (Kn), thidiazuron (TDZ), and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). A total of 37 media combinations were tested, among which MS medium fortified with TDZ (2.0 mg/L) and IAA (0.5 mg/L) proved most effective, inducing the highest number of shoots per explant (88.0). Elongated shoots were successfully rooted on MS medium supplemented with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA, 2.5 mg/L), an average of 19.0 roots per shoot with an average root length of 6.9 cm. The regenerated plantlets were acclimatized in earthen bags with a survival rate of 80% and subsequently established under field conditions without exhibiting any morphological or growth abnormalities. This efficient in vitro regeneration protocol can serve as a foundation for large-scale propagation, conservation, and sustainable utilization of this elite medicinal herb.