Efecto del extracto de las hojas de casearia corymbosa sobre la germinación de passiflora edulis var. Edulis

Based on traditional etnobotanical knowledge of some rural communities from central Colombia, the biological activity of the leaf extract of Casearia corymbosa was evaluated on the germination of Passiflora edulis var. edulis seeds. Parallely, the presence of gibberellic acid, by thin layer chromatography (TLC) was confirmed in the gibberellic fraction (AcOEt-acid) obtained from the methanolic (80%) leaf extract. This gibberellic fraction was obtained by phytochemical fractionation method with organic solvents. Leaf extract was obtained by traditional water extraction and it was diluted several times to prepare 12 experimental treatments, which were compared with 3 GA3 and 2 distilled water control treatments, in 2 germination tests (in vitro and field). 2800 matures seeds were used, collected from a selected plant of Passion fruit. A tetrazolium test was conducted at the beginning of essay to determine seed viability. Then, field essay was made with 700 seeds, using a Block design with 7 treatments and 3 replications, and in vitro assay with 1700 seeds was carried out, with DCA design, 17 treatments and 5 replications. The germination percentage (G %) was evaluated every 10 days during 70 days and the results were statistically analyzed with program R (2.8.1.). Highly significant differences between treatments were found by ANAVA, and the LSD test determined not differences between 2 best treatments, but they resulted to by different from the rest of treatments. Best germination obtained was of 94% and 81% respectively. The results support the research hypothesis, which is related to the presence of gibberellins in the leaf extract of C. corymbosa, and this can be as effective as GA3 in promoting seed germination. Additionally, another tetrazolium test at the end of assay was realized with the seeds that not showed germination, to determinate loss of viability.