INDUCTION, MULTIPLICATION, AND ACCLIMATIZATION OF RED BETEL PLANT (PIPER CROCATUM RUIZ AND PAV.) BY IN VITRO ORGANOGENESIS

Red betel is an herbal plant with anticancer activities. Propagation of red betel by conventional vegetative method has low multiplication factors. The purpose of this research was to increase the propagation rate of red betel by utilizing in vitro culture organogenesis method which was consisted of stages as follows: shoots initiation, shoots multiplication, root induction, and acclimatization. Shoots induction from axillary bud was achieved on MS 3 mgL-1 BAP media. Shoots were multiplicated on MS (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 mgL-1) BAP, (0.01, 0.03, 0.1, 0.3 mgL-1) TDZ, and (0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0 mgL-1) TDZ combined with 0.5 mgL-1 NAA. Roots were induced on MS (0, 0.5, 1, 1, 5 mgL-1) NAA. The maximum number of shoots (4.4 +/- 0.9) was achieved on MS 1 mgL-1 BAP. The maximum number of roots (22.8 +/- 9.7) was achieved on MS 0.5 mgL-1 NAA. The highest survival rates of red betel plants during acclimatization and post-acclimatization periods were 88% and 100%, respectively. Red betel had been successfully multiplicated by in vitro direct organogenesis.