In vitro seeds germination of Guaiacum sanctum L., a species of commercial and medicinal importance

Abstract

Guaiacum sanctum L. is a timber species with multiple medicinal properties; however, it is threatened according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it presents difficulties in propagating in wild conditions. The objective was to evaluate the in vitro germination process of Guaiacum sanctum seeds. The freshly collected seeds were aseptically removed from the fruits and sown in the Murashige and Skoog (MS) culture medium supplemented with gibberellic acid (0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 2.0 mg L-1 GA3). A completely randomized design was used, applying ANOVA and Tukey's test (P<0.05). With 200 mg L-1 of GA3, 85% final germination was obtained compared to the control (0.0 mg L-1 of GA3) which presented 13%. There were statistically significant differences between treatments (P<0.0001). The final germination percentage increased as the concentrations of gibberellic acid increased. In vitro germination can be an alternative for propagation and conservation for this forest species.