Santalum album (L.) is a prized tropical tree species of high therapeutic and industrial importance. The wood of these naturally grown plants is extensively harvested to acquire therapeutically important metabolite santalol and be used for additional functions such as in wood statuette industries. Due to high demand, it is crucial to maintain a sufficient plant population. An easy protocol for establishing cell suspension culture initiated from the loose embryogenic callus mass of sandalwood was realized by shifting 6–8-week-old morphogenic calli acquired from the mature embryonic axis and cotyledon explant cultures in fluid media. The asynchronous embryogenic cultures were sloughed with clumps of flourishing cell clumps and embryos of various progressive phases along with diffident non-embryogenic tissues. The frequency of embryo proliferation was evidenced to determinethe expansion pace of embryogenic masses under diverse conditions. The intonation of initiation and creation of cell suspension was under the directive of the influence of exogenous plant growth regulators amended in the nutrient medium at different concentrations and combinations. Maximum relative growth rate (386%) and clumps/embryoids in elevated integers (321.44) were accomplished on MS nutrient medium fortified with 2.0 mg L⁻¹ 2,4-D in association with 0.5 mg L⁻¹ BA and 30.0 g L⁻¹ sucrose raised from mature embryonic axis-derived calli. Plantlet regeneration in higher frequency (84.43%) was evidenced on MS medium amended with 1.0 mg L⁻¹ each of TDZ and GA₃ in conjunction with 0.5 mg L⁻¹ NAA and 20.0 g L⁻¹ sucrose. Mature embryonic axis-derived calli were found to be constantly better than mature cotyledon-derived calli for raising profitable and reproducible cell suspension cultures. Regenerants displayed normal growth and morphology and were founded successfully in the external environment after hardening.

Plumbagin is the major alkaloid responsible for medicinal activities of Plumbago zeylanica. Experiments were conducted to quantify secondary metabolite (plumbagin) production in calli/cell clumps/embryoid acquired from cell suspension culture of P. zeylanica. Higher plumbagin amount was detected in one-month-old calli/cell clumps/embryoid fraction (0.428mg/100gm), liquid culture medium fraction free of calli/cell clumps/embryoid (0.357 mg.L⁻¹) acquired from cell suspension culture as well as in two-months-old rhizogenic calli (1.257 mg per gm) on culture medium MS3D.5IB ((MS+3.0 mgL⁻¹ 2,4-D + 0.5 mgL⁻¹ IBA). Linearly increased plumbagin concentration in both fractions of cell suspension culture was recorded with increased concentration of 2,4-D. MS2D.5IB (MS+2.0 mgL⁻¹ 2,4-D + 0.5 mgL⁻¹ IBA) was found the best culture medium in increasing growth and rhizogenic calli response in liquid medium.