After 47 days, the in vitro grown seedlings were ready for sampling. The leaves were defoliated and lateral meristem was vertically sliced (0.5 mm thick) in a sterile condition with sterile dissection knife. The slicing meristem containing xylem and bark were rinsed with sterile water to discard latex debris that might obstruct nutrient uptake during culturing. All procedures involved in this experiment were carried out inside the laminar flow sterilised with UV lights for an hour prior to use.