Passiflora alata Curtis (sweet passion fruit), native to Brazil, is one of the commercially cultivated species
of the genus, being consumed in natura due to its sweet taste, and also used as an ornamental. The goal
of this work was to develop new strategies for in vitro culture of P. alata, including plant production, and
establishment of callogenesis and cell suspension cultures. Shoot elongation rate and number of nodes per
shoot of the primary cultures were improved by adding coconut water to the medium. Plants derived from
primary cultures were used as sources of nodal, internodal and leaf explants. Shoot formation occurred
through distinct pathways in response to 6-benzyladenine. Internodal and leaf explants displayed both
direct and indirect organogenesis, resulting in the formation of 9.9
±
1.3 and 2.0 shoots per explant,
respectively. Nodal segments originated organogenic calluses, with the production of 12.9
±
1.5 shoots
per explant. Shoots were transferred to elongation medium (MSM + 10% coconut water), and showed
root formation at a frequency of 100%, after 30 days of culture. Friable calluses were induced from nodal
and leaf segments in the presence of PIC, and those obtained from leaves on medium supplemented with
28.9 M PIC were selected for the establishment of cell suspension cultures.