Micropropagation and assessment of genetic homogeneity in Dendrobium moniliforme (L.) Sw. using molecular markers

Dendrobium moniliforme (L.) Sw., is a valuable medicinal orchid widely used as traditional medicine to cure several ailments particularly related to gastrointestinal and pulmonary disorder. This study aimed to develop an effective protocol for micropropagation of D. moniliforme and to compare the genetic similarities of the micropropagated plants to the wild plants using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) molecular markers. Healthy seeds collected from wild habitat were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various concentrations of auxin, cytokinin and coconut water for shoot and root development. Genetic homogeneity was assessed using 10 primers each of RAPD and ISSR markers. MS medium fortified with 10.0% coconut water was efficient for seed germination and protocorm development. Maximum number of shoots (22 shoots per explant) were produced on half-strength MS medium supplemented with 0.25 mg L ⁻¹ NAA and 10.0% coconut water. Full-strength MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L ⁻¹ IBA was found to be best plant hormone for root induction, as it induced 10 roots per shoot. RAPD and ISSR amplified a total of 15 and 5 homogeneous DNA fragments respectively. This study demonstrates a reliable and efficient protocol for large-scale propagation and conservation of true-to-type D. moniliforme, supporting its commercial and medicinal value.