Balanites aegyptiaca belongs to the family Zygophyllaceae, present in
tropical countries of the world. This plant is well known for its medicinal properties. B.
aegyptiaca contains numerous phytochemical components such as glycosides, proteins,
steroids, terpenoids, alkaloids, and flavonoids. Due to overexploitation, the natural
population of plants is declining in the wild. Also, conventional propagation of the
plants is not sufficient in terms of the production and the number of the plants.
Therefore, to reduce the problem associated with traditional propagation and
production of plants on a larger scale, in vitro propagation is the most suitable
approach. During in vitro propagation, a sufficient number of elite genotype progenies
within a limited time period and without seasonal dependence are produced.
Keywords: Diosgenin, micropropagation, somatic embryogenesis, synthetic seed.
