ISHS Acta Horticulturae 208: VI International Symposium on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, XXII IHC
EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT OF BORAGO OFFICINALIS |
| Authors: | J. Quinn, A. Whipkey, J. Simon, J. Janick |
| Abstract:
Borage seed contains several long-chain fatty acids with  -linolenic acid (GLA), a minor fatty acid of medicinal importance, as a major constituent.
Seed development was complete about 20 days after pollination (DAP). Meiosis occurred 9 days before anthesis.
The 4-cell stage, early heart-shape stage, cotyledon expansion, seed coat darkening, and abscission occurred at 1, 4, 5–16, 16–18, and 17–20 DAP, respectively.
Developing borage embryos were analyzed at 2-day intervals, from 6 DAP until mature (18 DAP). Embryo accumulation of fatty acids (6.03 mg) and GLA (0.87 mg) accumulation reached a peak at 16 DAP. Somatic embryos and embryogenic-competent callus initiated from immature zygotic embryos produced GLA. There was a 3.6 fold increase in percent fatty acid and a 1.6 fold increase in percent GLA in cotyledonary somatic embryos relative to embryogenic callus.
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