Mathai M P, Ph.D. theses, Department of Botany, University of Calicut, KERALA, INDIA
2009, http://hdl.handle.net/10603/3949
Summary
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum Bercht. and Presl), Cassia (C. cassia Blume) and their products have long been recognized for their sweet and delicate flavours and are widely used in food, pharmaceutical, soap and cosmetic industries. Cinnamon bark oil contains no less than 90 identified compounds and over 50 very minute unidentified compounds. The mild and mellow aroma of both cinnamon bark and cassia oils is due to the synergistic effect of all these compounds. Food technologists and food manufacturers find it very difficult to imitate them completely with synthetic substitutes. Although cinnamaldehyde gives a very crude imitation of either cinnamon or cassia, it is nowhere near the natural flavour. Now a days the synthetic essential oils are rejected by leading food manufacturers. There has always been a demand for natural cinnamon and cassia. Since these plants are naturally cross pollinated, variation arises among the progenies. According to the statistics of the Spices Board, Govt. of India, the area under cinnamon and cassia cultivation in Kerala is 326 hectares during 2005-2006. The import of cinnamon and cassia to India was 11313.5 t during 2005-2006. The export of cinnamon and cassia from India during 2006-2007 was 304.9 t, and cinnamon and cassia in powder form was 406.5 t. The export of cinnamon and cassia oil was 9.4 t and cinnamon and cassia oleoresin was 17.9 t during 2006-2007. The import of cinnamon and cassia oil to India was 19.7 t during 2006-2007.The shortage of adequate planting material of elite trees is a major problem for cinnamon propagation. A few dozen elite cultivars obtained through selection possess considerable market relevance. However, conventional breeding methods are extremely time consuming because they depend on cross pollination, seed germination and selection as well as vegetative regeneration. The major drawback of seed propagation is that, cinnamon being a cross-pollinated plant, exhibits wide variability in yield, quality of produce and oil content and other morphological characteristics. Modern plant biotechnology has adequate potential to reduce the time needed for traditional breeding programmes and to multiply adequate propagules that will have the same genetic make up as the mother plant within a short time. Thus it helps in maintaining uniformity within the population. Major emphasis in the present study was given in multiplying the commonly used cinnamon, Cinnamomum verum, while C. cassia has been used only for preliminary experimentation in order to find its in vitro responses for comparison.
Objectives
Standardization of micropropagation protocols for Cinnamomum verum and Cinnamomum cassia
Materials
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum Berchthold and Presl) trees and seedlings grown at Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) campus, Calicut, Kerala, were selected as the source of explants.
Explant
Shoot tips and nodal segments of Cinnamomum cassia
Initial culture
Shoot tips and nodal segments of Cinnamomum cassia were used for the initial establishment of cultures. The medium used for initial establishment was Woody plant medium (WPM) supplemented with 2 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.5 mg/l kinetine (Kn). There was a heavy loss of cultures due to high contamination. The regenerated shoots could attain a length of 1-1.5 cm within 21 days of inoculation. When fungicide sprayed explants were collected, the contamination rate reduced up to 5%.
Shoot multiplication
The medium combination selected as the best medium for multiple shoot induction in Cinnamomum verum, i.e., WPM supplemented with 3 mg/l BAP and 1mg/l Kn, was tried in C. cassia also for the induction of multiple of shoots. In cassia, the same medium induced up to 10 multiple shoots within 20-30 days of subculture.
Rooting
Roots up to 2 could be induced in WPM supplemented with 2 gm/l charcoal. Rooting was also achieved in WPM supplemented with 0.5 mg/l IBA, 0.5 mg/l NAA and 2 gm/l charcoal.