Gallic acid content in sapodilla fruit and seed (Manilkara zapota) and the correlation with germination control in recalcitrant seed

Abstract

Abstract. Putri KF, Solichatun, Pitoyo A. 2021. Gallic acid content in sapodilla fruit and seed (Manilkara zapota) and the correlation with germination control in recalcitrant seed. Cell Biol Dev 5: 7-16. Sawo or sapodilla (Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen) is a tropical fruit with many benefits. Sapodilla seed is classified as a recalcitrant but has a low storage capacity. The storability of seeds is influenced by moisture content and accumulation of germination inhibitor compounds present in the seeds. One of the inhibitor compounds is gallic acid. This study aims to determine the content of gallic acid in sapodilla fruit and seeds and its relation to the control of seed germination. There were two parts to the research; the first was to assess the level of gallic acid at different stages of sapodilla fruit development. The second part examined the effect of sapodilla seeds' ripening and storing period on gallic acid content and seed viability. The data were taken from the morphological characteristics of sapodilla fruit and seeds during the development period. The preparation of seed anatomy, measurement of seed moisture content, tetrazolium test, germination test, and analysis of gallic acid content in sapodilla fruit and seeds were also carried out. The content of gallic acid was measured using UV-vis spectrophotometry. Data were analyzed with the One Way ANOVA test, and if there was a significant difference, the DMRT test (Duncan Multiple Range Test) was continued with a test level of 5%. The Independent Sample T-Test analyzed data from seed germination and viability tests. This research revealed that the fruit parts, seed coats, cotyledons, and sapodilla seed embryos all contain gallic acid inhibitor compounds. The highest gallic acid content in sapodilla seeds was in the fruit, while the lowest was in the cotyledons and embryos. The gallic acid content in sapodilla fruit and seeds decreased during the development process and storage treatment. The seed storage treatment decreased the germination percentage of sapodilla seeds. That indicates that gallic acid plays a role in controlling sapodilla seed germination.