Momordica dioica Roxb. (Spine Gourd): Multiple shoot induction from nodal cultures and its antidiabetic activity

Momordica dioica Roxb. (Spine Gourd) (Cucurbitaceae) is an important vegetable with high food and medicinal value. Maintaining tuber quality in field conditions as well its conservation during storage is difficult. Micropropagation may help to overcome these problems to a great extent. As there is limited information on the above mentioned aspects is not available. Therefore, the present study has been designed to develop an efficient protocol for in vitro shoot multiplication and regenerations of spine gourd as well as to check its antidiabetic activity. The nodal segments were harvested and cut end of the explants then surface sterilized and cultured. Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) agar-gelled medium with optimum concentration of BAP+NAA (1.5+0.1 mg/l) and NAA+NB6 (0.5+0.5mg/l) had an effect on callus production. Shoot multiplication was found best in NB6 + BAP (0.5+0.5mg/l). After 15 days, shoot length of 5.2 ± 0.37cm and shoot numbers 10±1.4 were observed. In the present investigations, a novel method is developed by which multiple shoot can be induced on MS-medium supplemented with cytokinins (BAP, NAA and NB6). To the best our knowledge this is first report in this M. dioica uses the NB6 growth hormones for induction of callus and multiplication of shoot. Antidiabetic activity of M. dioica was also evaluated by using α-amylase inhibition assay. Comparative analysis of starch hydrolysis by α-amylase control, fruit and callus extract treated of starch hydrolysis by α-amylase M. dioica reveled 3 cm, 2.7 cm and 2.4 cm zone of inhibition respectively. Our result reveled that there is an inhibition αamylase enzyme responsible for starch hydrolysis. This is in turn helpful to control hyperglycemic condition and type 2 diabetes. However, further study is needed to prove antidiabetic potential of M. dioica.