Regeneration of plantlets from nodal and shoot tip explants of Anoectochilus elatus Lindley, an endangered terrestrial orchid

Anoectochilus elatus Lindley is an endangered terrestrial orchid. A procedure for the regeneration of complete plantlets of A. elatus Lindley through node and shoot tip explants resulted directly in shoots when cultured on a full strength Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium supplemented with cytokinins at different concentrations. An average number of shoots per explant is 3 in shoot tip and 4 in node, respectively. The best shoot proliferation was observed in 3.0 mg/l 1-phenyl-3-(1,2,3-thiadiazol-5-yl)-urea (TDZ) and the mean shoot length in 3.5 mg/l 6-furfurylaminopurine (KIN) (node) and 0.01 mg/l (shoot tip). Hundred percent rooting was achieved with the regenerated shoots in the same medium with the addition of 0.3 g/l activated charcoal (AC). Plantlets with well developed leaves and roots were transplanted to pots filled with a mixture of coconut coir, activated charcoal, commercial fertilizers (3:1:1) and acclimatized before been transferred to the greenhouse.Keywords: : Anoectochilus elatus, activated charcoal, regeneration, rootingAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 11(29), pp. 7549-7553, 10 April, 201

In vitro propagation of Ceropegia thwaitesii Hook- an endemic species of Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India

In vitro propagation of Ceropegia thwaitesii Hook (Asclepiadaceae), an endemic plant species of Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu (India), was carried out. Auxiliary bud explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium fortified with cytokinins (KIN), 6-benzyl adenine (BA), 2-isopentenyladenine (2-iP) and thidiazuron (TDZ) in various concentrations and in combination with auxins indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). High frequency of shoot bud proliferation and multiplication was observed on KIN (13.94 μm) + IAA (28.54 μm). Rhizogenesis was observed on MS medium supplemented with IBA 2.46 μm and plantlets produced through micropropagation were hardened with the survival success of 73.33%. The efficient Micropropagation regeneration protocol developed would aid ex situ conservation of this endemic species.Key words: Ceropegia thwaitesii, in vitro propagation, Asclepiadaceae, plant growth regulators, micropropagation

<em>In vitro</em> propagation and genetic stability assessment of an endangered terrestrial jewel orchid <em>Anoectochilus elatus </em> Lindl.

853-863Anoectochilus elatus Lindl. is an endangered terrestrial jewel orchid habituated in the Eastern and the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India. It is endangered due to lack of suitable pollinators for ovary fertilization and low fruit development. Moreover, issues such as its germinationwhich depends up on thesymbiotic association with mycorrhizal fungus with their tiny embryosand indiscriminate collection cause scarcity of this species in nature. Hence, in the present study we have developed an efficient and reproducible micropropagation protocol for eco-restoration programmes for this species. The explants axillary bud and shoot tip responded positively in Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) supplemented with different concentrations of thidiazuron (TDZ) alone and combination with cytokinins, auxins, complex extracts and antioxidants at various concentrations. Among the different experimental trails, MS medium supplemented with 1.5 mg/L TDZ and 50 mg/L peptone proved beneficial for producing multiple shoots. A maximum of 17.2 shoots/explant were derived from axillary bud followed by shoot tip (14 shoots/explant) explants. In vitro rooting of micro shoots was observed on MS medium supplemented with 3 g/L activated charcoal (AC). Genetic stability of in vitro raised plantlets was analysed through Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSRs) molecular markers. Band patterns revealed 2.38% polymorphism and 97.61% monomorphism with genomic uniformity that of the mother plant. The regenerated plantlets were successfully acclimatized in a greenhouse environment with 68.42% survival rate. Finally, acclimatized plants were shifted to the Vattakanal Conservation Trust, Pambarpuram, Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu for further maintenance and establishment under natural conditions

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially