Embryogenic callus induction and fatty acid composition analysis of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis cv. Tenera)

Abstract Embryogenic callus (EC) induction and plantlet regeneration of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) are essential platforms for the propagation of uniform hybrid cultivars in large-scale cultivation. In this paper, an embryogenic callus was successfully induced from leaf tissue from the ‘Tenera’ varieties of oil palm and regenerated into plantlets via secondary embryogenesis. The total lipid and separated triacylglycerol (TAG) contents of the EC were determined using GC–MS. The results showed that the EC had a total lipid content of approximately 9.46%, while TAG accounted for 32% of the total lipid content. Considering that the TAG content was more than 95% of the total fatty acids (FAs) in the mesocarp of ripe oil palm fruit, the FA profile of the TAG content in the EC was compared with the total lipid content in the mesocarp of oil palm. The results indicated that the FA profile of the TAG content in the EC was similar to that in the mesocarp, even though there were still significant differences in the content of individual FAs. The similar FA composition in the EC and mesocarp of oil palm will be a valuable marker for predicting FA profiles in the mesocarp of the mature transgenic oil palm fruit obtained from transformation and embryogenesis.