ISSN 2169-303X
International Journal of Medicinal Plants Research ISSN 2169-303X Vol. 7 (3), pp. 371-375, March, 2018. © International Scholars Journals
Review
Micropropagation protocols for the mass propagation of over-exploited medicinal plants in South Africa
Afolayan A. J.1* and Adebola P. O.2
1 Department of Botany, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa.
2Plant Breeding Group, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, PMB 5244, Ibadan, Nigeria.
*Correspondence author. E-mail: [email protected]; Tel./Fax +2740 6022323;
Accepted 06 July, 2017
Abstract
South Africa has a very rich plant biodiversity, many of which are medicinally useful. The rich resource is decreasing at an alarming rate as a result of over-exploitation. Plant in vitro regeneration is a biotechnological tool that offers a potential solution to this problem as it provides a means of putting the plants onto the market at lower prices. We present in this paper a review of micro propagation protocols developed for selected medicinal plants of South Africa and highlight the need for the utilization of this technology for the mass propagation of over-exploited medicinal plants in South Africa.
Key words: Tissue culture, protocols, micro propagation, medicinal plants, herbal medicine.