ABSTRACT
Momordica charantia is an important medicinal plant as a remedy for diabetes. The plant extracts from fruits collected from different districts show the different composition of minerals as well as antidiabetic factors. Novel plants with higher trace elemental and antidiabetic factor charantin content may be propagated through somatic embryogenesis. Use of additives causes enhanced production of somatic embryos in embryogenic culture. Usually, somatic embryogenesis is carried out in Murashige and Skoog medium with supplementation of various plant growth regulators. Nutrient supplementation plays an important role of somatic embryo propagation, which is reflected in the trace elemental profile of the plant. The gene involved in somatic embryogenesis and stress tolerance is SERK. Direct correlation between nutrient depletion and SERK expression in M. charantia is observed. Leaf explants when grown in the same medium without subculture, show differential SERK expressions. The up-regulation of SERK is observed in nutrient-depleted prolonged cultures vessels in tissue culture. Results obtained from immunohistochemistry provide strong evidence for this observation in vitro.
