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Whole-tree Agarwood-Inducing Technique: An Efficient Novel Technique for Producing High-Quality Agarwood in Cultivated Aquilaria sinensis Trees
Yangyang Liu 1,† ,
Huaiqiong Chen 1,† ,
Yun Yang 1,† ,
Zheng Zhang 1,2 ,
Jianhe Wei 1,2,*

,
Hui Meng 1 ,
Weiping Chen 1 ,
Jindong Feng 1 ,
Bingchun Gan 1 ,
Xuyu Chen 1 ,
Zhihui Gao 2 ,
Junqin Huang 2 ,
Bo Chen 1 and
Hongjiang Chen 1
1
Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources Conservation and Development of Southern Medicine, Hainan Branch, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Wanning 571533, China
2
National Engineering Laboratory for Breeding of Endangered Medicinal Materials, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Malianwabei Road, Beijing 10093, China
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 30 November 2012; in revised form: 22 January 2013 / Accepted: 26 February 2013 / Published: 7 March 2013
Abstract: Agarwood is the fragrant resin-infused wood derived from the wounded trees of Aquilaria species. It is a valuable non-timber forest product used in fragrances and as medicine. Reforestation for Aquilaria trees in combination with artificial agarwood-inducing methods serves as a way to supply agarwood and conserve of wild Aquilaria stock. However, the existing agarwood-inducing methods produce poor-quality agarwood at low yield. Our study evaluated a novel technique for producing agarwood in cultivated Aquilaria trees, called the whole-tree agarwood-inducing technique (Agar-Wit). Ten different agarwood inducers were used for comparison of Agar-Wit with three existing agarwood-inducing methods. For Aquilaria trees treated with these ten inducers, agarwood formed and spread throughout the entire tree from the transfusion point in the trunk to the roots and branches of the whole tree. Agarwood yield per tree reached 2,444.83 to 5,860.74 g, which is 4 to 28 times higher than that by the existing agarwood-inducing methods. Furthermore, this agarwood derived from Agar-Wit induction was found to have a higher quality compared with the existing methods, and similar to that of wild agarwood. This indicates Agar-Wit may have commercial potential. Induction of cultivated agarwood using this method could satisfy the significant demand for agarwood, while conserving and protecting the remaining wild Aquilaria trees.
Keywords: agarwood; fragrance; whole-tree agarwood-inducing technique (Agar-Wit); Aquilaria sinensis; cultivation; alternative method
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Cite This Article
MDPI and ACS Style
Liu, Y.; Chen, H.; Yang, Y.; Zhang, Z.; Wei, J.; Meng, H.; Chen, W.; Feng, J.; Gan, B.; Chen, X.; Gao, Z.; Huang, J.; Chen, B.; Chen, H. Whole-tree Agarwood-Inducing Technique: An Efficient Novel Technique for Producing High-Quality Agarwood in Cultivated Aquilaria sinensis Trees. Molecules 2013, 18, 3086-3106.
AMA Style
Liu Y, Chen H, Yang Y, Zhang Z, Wei J, Meng H, Chen W, Feng J, Gan B, Chen X, Gao Z, Huang J, Chen B, Chen H. Whole-tree Agarwood-Inducing Technique: An Efficient Novel Technique for Producing High-Quality Agarwood in Cultivated Aquilaria sinensis Trees. Molecules. 2013; 18(3):3086-3106.
Chicago/Turabian Style
Liu, Yangyang; Chen, Huaiqiong; Yang, Yun; Zhang, Zheng; Wei, Jianhe; Meng, Hui; Chen, Weiping; Feng, Jindong; Gan, Bingchun; Chen, Xuyu; Gao, Zhihui; Huang, Junqin; Chen, Bo; Chen, Hongjiang. 2013. "Whole-tree Agarwood-Inducing Technique: An Efficient Novel Technique for Producing High-Quality Agarwood in Cultivated Aquilaria sinensis Trees." Molecules 18, no. 3: 3086-3106.