Search Results (5)

Coconut palm’s economic significance across the tropics, underpinning livelihoods and industries, is increasingly threatened by pests, diseases, genetic erosion, and natural disasters. This underscores the urgent need for efficient germplasm conservation strategies. In vitro culture of zygotic embryos provides a vital pathway for secure global conservation and exchange, particularly for elite varieties like Makapuno. However, standardized, practical protocols for the international exchange of fresh, non-cryopreserved embryos remain underdeveloped. To address this gap, this study refined a key protocol for fresh coconut embryo exchange by systematically optimizing critical parameters. The results demonstrated that an optimal culture medium containing low sucrose (10 g/L), activated charcoal (1 g/L), Gelrite (2.5 g/L), and 1 mL medium per cryotube significantly enhanced embryo size (40% increase; p < 0.05) compared to sucrose-free controls. While surface sterilization using AgNPs showed a marginal growth advantage over NaClO, rigorous transportation simulations confirmed that embryos retain high viability and regeneration potential only if delivered within seven days. These findings establish a robust, standardized framework for enhancing the global exchange and conservation of elite coconut germplasm, directly supporting genetic conservation and varietal improvement efforts. Full article

The makapuno coconut endosperm is distinguished by its soft and irregular texture, in contrast to the solid endosperm of regular coconuts. To establish a scientific foundation for studying makapuno coconuts, callus was induced from makapuno endosperm using a combination of plant growth regulators. The induction was successful, and the resulting callus was subsequently subcultured for further study. Transcriptome sequencing of the makapuno callus identified 429 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 273 upregulated and 156 downregulated, compared to callus derived from regular coconut endosperm. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis indicated that these DEGs were involved in key metabolic pathways, including fructose and mannose metabolism, carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, galactose metabolism, and amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism. Furthermore, lipid content analysis of the makapuno callus revealed a significantly higher total lipid level compared to regular callus, with notable differences in the levels of specific fatty acids, such as myristic acid, palmitic acid, and linoleic acid. This study establishes a novel platform for molecular biological research on makapuno coconuts and provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of makapuno callus tissue. The findings also lay the groundwork for future research aimed at elucidating the unique properties of makapuno endosperm and exploring its potential applications. Full article

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is widely recognized as one of nature’s most beneficial plants. Makapuno, a special type of coconut with a soft, jelly-like endosperm, is a high-value commercial coconut and an expensive delicacy with a high cost of planting material. The embryo rescue technique is a very useful tool to support mass propagation of makapuno coconut. Nevertheless, transplanting the seedlings is a challenge due to poor root development, which results in the inability of the plant to acclimatize. In this study, primary root excision was used in makapuno to observe the effects of primary root excision on lateral root development. The overall results showed that seedlings with roots excised had a significantly higher number of lateral roots, and shoot length also increased significantly. Using de novo transcriptome assembly and differential gene expression analysis, we identified 512 differentially expressed genes in the excised and intact root samples. ERF071, encoding an ethylene-responsive transcription factor, was identified as a highly expressed gene in excised roots compared to intact roots, and was considered a candidate gene associated with lateral root formation induced by root excision in makapuno coconut. This study provides insight into the mechanism and candidate genes involved in the development of lateral roots in coconut, which may be useful for the future breeding and mass propagation of makapuno coconut through tissue culture. Full article

Makapuno is a natural mutant coconut cultivar with jelly-like endosperm. Here, we investigated the nutritional compositions, active ingredients, and antioxidant activities of Makapuno meat and water. The contents of macronutrients, sugars, vitamins, amino acids, and fatty acids were reported. We found that Makapuno meat has higher dietary fiber with lower protein and fat content compared to normal coconut meat. Medium-chain fatty acids were the major fat component of Makapuno meat and water. Phytochemical analysis revealed that while flavonoid content was lower, the total phenolic, alkaloid, and tannin contents of Makapuno meat were comparable with those of mature coconut. However, Makapuno water contained higher alkaloid content when compared to mature and young coconuts. The antioxidant activities, as examined by DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS assays, showed that Makapuno meat and water had antioxidant activities, and Makapuno water exhibited protective activity against DNA damage. Hence, this research provides the nutraceutical importance of Makapuno, which could be used in the food industry. Full article

The coconut is a major crop of many tropical countries, with the endosperm being one of its main products. The coconut soft-endosperm variants, the Makapuno and the Lono, are emerging as economically important. This review describes this crop, its salient endosperm phenotypes and the prevailing hypotheses associated with these. We also collate the literature on the Makapuno and provide a comprehensive review of the scarce information on the Lono. We review the current tenets of plant DNA methylation and provide examples of altered phenotypes associated with such methylation changes. We explore how the changes in the methylome affect endosperm development and the tissue culture process. We further cite the epigenetic basis of an altered endosperm phenotype of a closely related species to the coconut, the oil palm. We discuss how such modifications could affect coconut endosperm development, yielding the Makapuno and Lono phenotypes. Full article