La jojoba

In vitro propagation of jojoba.

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis (Link) Schn.) is a nontraditional crop in arid and semi-arid areas. Vegetative propagation can be achieved by layering, grafting, or rooting semi-hardwood cuttings, but the highest number of possible propagules is limited by the size of the plants and time of the year. Micropropagation is highly recommended strategy for obtaining jojoba elite clones. For culture ini...

Synthesis of a jojoba bean disaccharide.

A synthesis of the disaccharide recently isolated from jojoba beans, 2-O-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl-D-chiro-inositol, has been achieved. The suitably protected chiro-inositol unit was prepared by an enantiospecific synthesis from L-xylose utilizing SmI2-mediated pinacol coupling as a key step.

Isolation of a toxic factor from jojoba meal.

Gluconeogenesis from storage wax in the cotyledons of jojoba seedlings.

The cotyledons of jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) seeds contained 50 to 60% of their weight as intracellular wax esters. During germination there was a gradual decrease in the wax content with a concomitant rise in soluble carbohydrates, suggesting that the wax played the role of a food reserve. Thin layer chromatography revealed that both the fatty alcohol and fatty acid were metabolized. The di...

Native Heteromyid Rodents as Pests of Commercial Jojoba

After crop losses of 5 to 60% were noted on two 500-acre Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) plantings in a desert area of southern California, a study was conducted to identify the animals responsible. Various population census and pestidentification techniques were utilized. Four native rodents of the Heteromyid family, not previously known to be pests of Jojoba, were found to be present in suffici...