Callus culture, a type of plant tis

Callus culture, a type of plant tissue culture consisting
of undifferentiated tissues, constitutes an important
tool in plant biotechnology. It can be used
in numerous ways, for example, for organogenesis1,
indirect somatic embryogenesis2, and generation of
somaclonal variation3.
Aromatic chilli (Capsicum frutescens L.) and bilimbi
(Averrhoa bilimbi L.), two plants commonly used
in Thai cuisine, were chosen for this study. There
were prior studies on callus culture of the former4 but
there was no prior tissue culture work on the latter.
Bilimbi is a small tree and has been classified as a
member of the family Oxalidaceae. Although it is
widely cultivated in the lowlands of Southeast Asia, it
has been considered native to the tropical Americas5.
Extracts of bilimbi leaves and fruits were also reported
to have antibacterial activity6.