In Vitro Production of Jojoba Liquid Wax by Zygotic and Somatic Embryos

Abstract

Abstract Zygotic embryos of jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis Link) accumulated liquid wax in vivo from 10 mg dry weight to maturity (800 mg dry weight) with relatively constant proportions of 36 to 46 carbon length wax esters. Immature zygotic embryos (initial dry weight, 1.6 ± 0.5 mg se), cultured on a semisolid basal medium supplemented with 15% sucrose for 10 weeks, reached 64.7 ± 20.5 mg se dry weight and produced 50% wax, an efficiency twice that of in vivo zygotic embryos of the same size. Somatic embryos (initial dry weight, 0.3 mg) cultured on semisolid basal media containing 9% sucrose for 12 weeks averaged 92.5 ± 32.7 mg se dry weight with 20% wax, 74% of the efficiency of zygotic embryos in vivo of the same size. The proportion of wax esters accumulated by zygotic and somatic embryos produced in vitro was similar to that of in vivo-produced wax.