Seeds characterization of wild species Jatropha peiranoi endemic of arid areas of Monte Desert Biome, Argentina

ADEN, CONSTANZA; CRUZ, KARINA; PATERLINI, PAULA; OLIVARO, CRISTINA; TONELLO, URSULA; JAIME, GLORIA SUSANA; GÓMEZ, MARÍA INÉS; ROMERO, CINTIA MARIANA

Industrial Crops and Products

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2019 vol. 141

0926-6690

Jatropha peiranoi grows in the arid northern area of Monte Desert Biome in Argentina. This plant is adapted tolow temperatures during the winter season. This study deeply describes the seed structure and oil characteristicsas well as the clonal in vitro propagation of the plant in order to evaluate its potential as a new energetic crop.Wild seeds were harvested from Santa Maria Valley during the reproductive season. The color of its tegumentshowed a great variability given by the time of harvest and degree of ripening of the fruits. The endosperm wasrich in oleosomes and protein bodies. The seed oil yield obtained was 33%. The lipid profile was linoleic acid(75%), oleic acid (15.6%), stearic acid (4%) and palmitic acid (5.9%). The oil was stable to the high temperatures, with a boiling point at 380 °C, without decomposition even at 400 °C. Lipolytic enzymes were detectedin the seed-cake, with values of 84.5 U/g and 46.7 U/g for lipase and esterase, respectively.A protocol for in vitro clonal propagation was achieved employing nodal explants. For the shoot induction andproliferation, a concentration of BAP up to 0.2 mg/L caused an increase in the number of axillary shoots perexplant. The optimum IBA concentration for the rooting was 0.2 mg/L. The plantlets were successfully acclimatized in soil. Currently, the field performance of clones with desirable traits is being evaluated. This workcontributes to Jatropha species knowledge since Jatropha peiranoi is one of the adapted species to extreme environmental conditions that differs from other members of the genus