Seed fatty acid composition and germination studies in Garcinia dhanikhariensis S.K. Srivastava (Clusiaceae) – a novel tropical fruit species from Bay Islands, India

Abstract

Garcinia dhanikhariensis is an endemic tropical species distributed in the Bay Islands, India. The species has been found to be of horticultural significance owing to its edible fruits and potential as natural colorant. Being an endemic species, identifying the potential uses and standardization of nursery techniques of G. dhanikhariensis could be helpful in conserving and popularizing it. The present investigation aimed at determining fatty acid composition of seed fat using GC-MS and standardization of seed germination technique for mass multiplication. Results revealed that seeds had higher saturated fatty acids, dominant being stearic acid (43.62%) and oleic acid (42.40%). Among the pretreatments studied, soaking of seeds in potassium nitrate (0.1%) or gibberellic acid (500 mg/L) was recommended based on superior germination percentage and seedling growth parameters. The effect of seed source on germination characteristics was also studied, which revealed considerable variability among the collections. Regenerated seedlings were successfully transplanted without any mortality. Thus, seeds of G. dhanikhariensis were found to be novel sources of industrially important stearic acid and oleic acid. Nursery protocol discussed here would be useful for mass multiplication of this novel fruit species.