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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Citrus somatic hybrid leaf essential oil

subject

description

The essential oil from the leaves of a Citrus interspecific somatic hybrid obtained by symmetric protoplast fusion between ‘Milam’ lemon [purported sexual hybrid of C. Jambhiri Lush (×) C. sinensis] and ‘Femminello’ lemon (C. limon L. Burm f.) has been characterized by steam distillation GC–MS analysis and its composition compared with that of the corresponding oils obtained from the parent plants. The amount (%) of the different classes of substances present in the oils show, in the new hybrid, an overall lowering of the hydrocarbon fraction and an increase of the oxygenated components. The somatic hybrid shows a close similarity in the amounts of terpenes, sesquiterpenes and alcohols with the ‘Milam’ parent and in the amount of aldehydes with the other parent. Remaining oxygenated components appear lower in the hybrid with respect to both parents. Because of their genetic origins, the hybrid cells possess the nuclear genome of both parents and should potentially maintain all their genetic traits. However, the closer similarities found in the composition of the essential oils in the leaves of the somatic hybrid and the ‘Milam’ parent could be interpreted as the dominance, in the nucleus, of the genetic information from this parent, although possible interactions between the nucleus and the mitochondrial genome cannot be at present accounted for since the origin of the latter is uncertain. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.