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Variation in seedling vigour and camptothecin content of Pyrenacantha volubilis Wight: insights for domestication

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Abstract

As a pioneering work in the field of domestication of Pyrenacantha volubilis Wight, an anti-cancer drug (camptothecin) yielding plant, this study identifies superior seed sources of southern peninsular India for various parameters related to its growth and yield. The experiment was set up following the common garden experiment protocol in Completely Randomised Design. Laboratory extraction of camptothecin from whole seeds was carried out using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Whereas seeds from Kizhoor population were the heaviest (test weight of 171.5 g), seedlings obtained by sowing the seeds from Villiampakkam population performed better in terms of total yield per plant (5.25 g dry weight) as well as total camptothecin yield per hectare (223.125 g). Almost three times variation was observed in the experiment between the poorest and the best performing populations. We attempt to discuss the potential for domestication, large-scale planting and sustainable harvesting of this promising and versatile new cash crop.

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Funding

The research was funded by Department of Biotechnology, Government of India under the project “Biotechnological interventions for conservation and utilization of forest resources” (No. BT/PR/8266/NDB/39/266/2013). The first author received the INSPIRE Junior Research Fellowship (IF 180651) from Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and merit scholarship from University of Agricultural Sciences – Dharwad and Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Biology and Tree Improvement, College of Forestry – Vellanikkara, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, India

    Arjun Ramachandran

  2. Department of Forest Biology and Tree Improvement, College of Forestry – Sirsi, University of Agricultural Sciences – Dharwad, Sirsi, India

    Ramesh Vasudeva

  3. Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bengaluru, India

    Gudasalamani Ravikanth

  4. Department of Crop Physiology and School of Ecology and Conservation, University of Agricultural Sciences – GKVK, Bengaluru, India

    Ramanan Uma Shaanker

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  1. Arjun Ramachandran
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  2. Ramesh Vasudeva
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  3. Gudasalamani Ravikanth
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  4. Ramanan Uma Shaanker
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Correspondence to Arjun Ramachandran.

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Ramachandran, A., Vasudeva, R., Ravikanth, G. et al. Variation in seedling vigour and camptothecin content of Pyrenacantha volubilis Wight: insights for domestication. Genet Resour Crop Evol 68, 1061–1071 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-020-01048-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-020-01048-6

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