The effects of using yeast and plant extracts in in vitro
culture have been investigated by a number of workers.
One of the earliest report is that of Overbeek et al.
(1941), who succeeded in growing immature Datura
embryos in culture by including the liquid endosperm of
Cocos nucifera (coconut milk) in their culture medium.
Coconut milk was also shown to stimulate cell division in
other cultured tissues and its use as a supplement was
adopted in many laboratories (Duhamet and Gautheret,
1950; Morel, 1950; Nickell, 1950; Duhamet, 1951;
Henderson et al., 1952; De Ropp et al., 1952; Archibald,