Seeds from fresh and healthy ripe fruits collected from local gardens were taken out using forceps and washed with tap water. Seeds were then treated with 0.1% Dhanustin (Carbendazim 50% w/w) for 10-15 min and rinsed three times with distilled water. This was followed by surface sterilization under aseptic conditions with 0.1% HgCl2 solution for 5 min, followed by several washes with sterile distilled water. The surface-sterilized seeds were inoculated in 250 ml flasks containing sterile filter paper soaked in sterile distilled water and incubated in the dark for 7-10 days at 25±2 °C. After germination, the seeds were then transferred to culture tubes containing MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) basal medium. Shoot-tip leaf explants were derived from four-five week-old in vitro germinated seedlings. Shoot apices (1-1.5 cm) were trimmed from four week-old seedlings and inoculated on a shoot bud induction medium consisting of MS basal medium supplemented with different concentrations of cytokinins, 2-10 mg/l 6-benzyl aminopurine (BAP) or kinetin (Kin) or zeatin (Zea) alone or in combinations of 2-10 mg/l BAP with 1 mg/l indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The number of shoot buds and the percentage of explants