Green page: Article This column covers information on the introduction and cultivation practices of new, under-utilized and other economic plants in India. The information shall be contributed articles by authors or compiled by editors. Contribution of articles by plant growers, agronomists, horticulturists and floriculturists with cultural practices, seed source and economics are solicited. Alligator Apple – A lesser-known multipurpose plant D R Singh*, S Senani, R P Medhi and R B Rai Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) Post Box No.181, Port Blair-744101, Andaman and Nicobar, India *Correspondent author, E-mail: [email protected] Received 15 October 2004; Revised 23 December 2004 Abstract are attracted to sweet smelling fruit; it is not liked by man. However, it is a good Alligator apple (Annona glabra Linn.) is a lesser-known plant having various useful source of seeds which are rich in fats and properties. The paper deals with its cultivation prospects, nutritional composition of seeds and fiber. Seeds yield 25.35% ether soluble potential uses of seed oil as biodiesel. fraction and cotyledons 43 % fats2. Keywords: Alligator apple, Fatty acid, Bio-diesel. IPC Code; Int. cl.7— A01G 1/00, A01G 17/00, C11B 1/00 Tree characteristics Introduction Hort. and A. muricata Linn. Alligator Alligator apple tree is generally aple was spotted opposite Murgan Temple measuring 3-8 m in height. Bark is There have been many wild, on east bank of Dilthaman tank in swamps cracked brown with pale lenticels. Roots inedible but still edible fruit yielding in Port Blair at 11º36’51.2 N latitude and have thick corky pith. Its foliage is plants. Alligator apple (Annona glabra 92º43’04.7 E longitude. Linn.) which is also known as Pond apple Two blocks of it have been or Jangli Sitaphal or Cork tree is a wild created in CARI, Port relative of the edible Custard apple. It Blair for further study on belongs to family Annonaceae. It is cultivation practices and distributed along the mangrove areas of fruit characterization. America from Florida to Brazil, across the Research on medicinal Atlantic in West Africa from Senegal to and insecticidal and Congo, West Indies, Sri Lanka and India1. bactericidal properties of Some other related species are: A. this plant is under way. reticulata Linn., A. squamosa Linn., Although Squirrel, A. cherimola Mill., A. atemoya Raccoon and Alligator Alligator apple plant 274 Natural Product Radiance Green page: Article situations, deep wetlands and along the backwaters. Research on suitability of Alligator apple for grafting with other Annona spp. is in the process and performance of grafts under field conditions is being evaluated. Alligator apple seeds Vegetative propagation vigour. The plant could provide ecological Alligator apple fruits security as it could be grown in various Alligator apple is usually semi-deciduous, leaves ovate-oblong, types of wastelands, salt affected lands propagated through seeds. Germination obtuse or acuminate at apex, 6-20 × 3-8 where excess of soluble salts from through seeds is very slow and low, cm in size, glabrous and fragrant. Petioles exchangeable sodium present in soils, possibly due to hard seed coat and are 1-3 cm long or conical, 6-10 × 5-8 adversely affects the growth of most fruit presence of inhibitors. Morphological cm in size, smooth or very faintly reticulate plants. It thrives very well in swampy characters like size and colour also influence towards base. Fruits glabrous, greenish yellow to creamy yellow, having a sweet scented pulp smelling like pineapple or Table 1 : Fatty acid composition of Alligator apple seed oil semi ripe jackfruit, with numerous seeds. Seeds may be up to 1500/fruit, which are S.No. Fatty acid Concentration (mg/g) Per cent sandal wood coloured oblong or elliptic- 1 Caprylic acid 0.34 0.034 oblong in shape. 2 Capric acid 0.76 0.076 Flowering occurs from March to July and plant bears light greenish-yellow 3 Lauric acid 12.7 1.27 flowers which are 2-4 cm across. Usually 4 Myristic acid 0.98 0.098 fruiting occurs from July to September. 5 Palmitic acid 109 10.9 Fruits are conical, unripe fruits are green pulpy smelling like pineapple and 6 Palmitoleic acid 10.9 1.09 resembling a ripe mango. The sweet 7 Stearic acid 37 3.7 scented quality of the fruit could be exploited 8 Oleic acid 461 46.1 for crop improvement programmes. 9 Linoleic acid 356 35.6 Though, the fruit has little nutritive value, its seeds are rich source 10 Linolenic acid 7.6 0.076 of fat and fibre (Table 1). Fruits are a 11 Arachidic acid 7.5 0.075 food for Raccoon, Squirrels, Alligator and 12 Eicosenic acid Traces - some other animals. Due to pleasant smell 13 Behnic acid Traces - of fruit these animals are attracted to this fruit. The bark of the tree is an excellent 14 Erucic Acid 9.3 0.093 home for orchids and other air plants. Total saturated fatty acids 168.28 16.82 The plant could be important in crop Total unsaturated fatty acids 844.8 84.48 improvement for being disease, pest and Monounsaturated fatty acids 481.2 48.12 drought resistance, winter hardiness and Polyunsaturated fatty acids 363.6 36.36 Vol 4(4) July-August 2005 275 Green page: Article seed germination. When seeds were The scion should contain four or five buds fatty acids to saturated fatty acids was treated with different concentration of with the graft made in the smooth 5.02:1.00. The fatty acid profile also gibberellic acid (GA) and physical internodes area below the lower bud. The showed similarities with many other oils treatment such as hulling, highest cut made at the top of the stock should of plant origin such as Rapeseed, germination of 60% was recorded at 600 be exactly the same as those made at the Sunflower, Safflower and Maize. ppm GA (gibberellic acid) concentration. bottom of the scion. Graft is tied and whole Hulled seeds with 1% GA treatment union is covered with polythene strip. With Economic importance showed vast improvement in germination this type of grafting 50-60% grafting was percentage and the time taken was also successful. It is estimated that a three-year reduced from 60 days to only 24 days. No old plant would yield about 50 fruits germination was recorded in 100 and 75% Nutrient composition of seeds weighing 10 kg. A block of one hectare of seawater and 50 and 25% levels of Alligator apple planted at 5m distance seawater have 30 and 50% germination The seeds contain: protein, 9.18; would yield about 4 tonnes of fruits after rates, respectively3. crude fiber, 58.1; fats, 23.35; ash, 1.85; 3 years. Per hectare 2.4 tonnes of seed Seedlings of Alligator apple are Ca 1.5; and P 0.03% on dry matter basis. and 720kg of oil can be obtained. On a salt resistant hence they can be used as a Solvent extracted fat was derivatized in to conservative estimate this is comparable salt resistant rootstock for grafting the methyl esters and separated by GLC. to sunflower, safflower and oil yields from Annona spp. like A. squamosa and The fatty acid profile present in the rice. Barring the top three bio-diesel A. muricata2. mixture was identified by comparison sources Jatropha, Coconut and Oil palm5, against the standard fatty acid esters. The Alligator apple is also a good and Grafting composition of the fatty acid is presented promising source of oil. Selective breeding in Table 1. Among the saturated fatty acids and crop improvement along with Seedlings of Alligator apple could Palmitic acid was in highest concentration standardization of agro-techniques we be raised in polythene bags of 37.5 × 10.9, followed by Stearic acid, 3.37, could improve oil yields. Per hectare bio- 25.0 cm size with a thickness of 250 Lauric acid, 1.27, Myristic acid, 0.098, diesel productivity of 761.6 litre may be gauge for transplanting the seed in the Capric acid, 0.076, Arachidic acid ,0.075, expected from Alligator apple, which is sufficient quantity of growing media Caprilic acid, 0.034% and Behnic acid in comparable to Safflower (714.82), Rice consisting of red soil: compost: sand in traces. In the unsaturated fatty acids Oleic (623.2) and Sunflower (662.4), the ratio of 2:1:1. The seed should be sown acid was 46.1, Linoleic acid, 35.2, respectively5. 2-3 cm deep in the growing media. For Palmitoleic acid, 1.09, Erucic acid, 0.093, As the seeds are able to grow in better germination seeds should be sown Linolenic acid, 0.076% and Eicosenic acid higher salinity conditions4, it could be after soaking in 600 ppm gibberellic acid in traces. Total saturated fatty acid content used for the dual purpose; checking the for 10 seconds. After about 20 days of of the oil was 168.28mg/g which works ingression of the sea and shore erosion sowing germination takes place. The seed out to be 16.82% whereas unsaturated and at the same time for reclamation of attain graftable stem thickness of 0.8-1.2 component was 844.8 mg/g making wastelands, which are unsuited for crop cm diameter and 15 cm in height in about 84.48%. These values compare well with production or allied activities. 10-12 month after germination. the saturated and unsaturated fatty acid The plants being salt tolerant, Seedlings of about 10-12 month content of organic soybean oil which has could be used as rootstock for budding/ old should be grafted in February-March 13.9-16.0% saturated fatty acid and 82.5- grafting of the exotic varieties like custard with desired variety of custard apple and 87.6% unsaturated fatty acids4.