Germination rate is the significant characteristic determining coconut palm diversity

Prevalence and burden of coconut allergy in the United States

BACKGROUND

Epidemiologic data on coconut allergy remains sparse in the United States despite the labeling requirement by the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act for products containing coconut.

OBJECTIVE

To provide current estimates of the prevalence, severity, determinants, and distribution of coconut allergy in the United States.

METHODS

A comprehensive food allergy prevalence survey was administered to a nationally representative, probability-based sample of US households between October 1, 2015 and September 30, 2016. Eligible respondents included adults who were able to complete self- and parent-proxy report surveys in English or Spanish by means of web or phone.

RESULTS

Using survey responses from 78,851 individuals, 0.39% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.33-0.45) of the US general population were categorized as having convincing coconut allergy. Among children, 0.22% (95% CI, 0.16-0.30) were estimated to have coconut allergy compared with 0.43% (95% CI, 0.37-0.51) of adults, whereas only 0.12% (95% CI, 0.08-0.18) of these children and 0.20% (95% CI, 0.16-0.24) of adults with convincing immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated coconut allergy reported physician-confirmed diagnoses. A current epinephrine prescription was reported by 40.1% (95% CI, 33.3-47.4) of those with convincing coconut allergy. Reactions involving multiple organ systems were reported by 47.5% (95% CI, 40.1-54.9) of those with convincing coconut allergy.

CONCLUSION

Roughly 1 in 260 Americans report symptoms consistent with an IgE-mediated allergy to coconut, although fewer than half of these individuals report receiving a physician diagnosis. Our data indicate that most individuals with reported coconut allergy meeting symptom-based criteria for convincingly IgE-mediated disease have comorbid FAs, and for many patients, clinical management seems to be suboptimal.

Fruit Biology of Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.)

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is an important perennial crop adapted to a wide range of habitats. Although global coconut demand has increased sharply over the past few years, its production has been decreasing due to palm senility, as well as abiotic and biotic stresses. In fact, replanting efforts are impeded due to the lack of good quality seedlings. In vitro technologies have a great potential; however, their applications may take time to reach a commercial level. Therefore, traditional seed propagation is still critical to help meet the rising demand and its practice needs to be improved. To achieve an improved propagation via seeds, it is important to understand coconut fruit biology and its related issues. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the existing knowledge on coconut fruit morpho-anatomy, germination biology, seed dispersal, distribution, fruit longevity and storage. This will help to identify gaps where future research efforts should be directed to improve traditional seed propagation.

Long-distance dispersal of the coconut palm by migration within the coral atoll ecosystem

BACKGROUND

The location of the original home of the coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, and the extent of its natural dispersal are not known. Proponents of a South American origin must explain why it is not indigenous there and why it shows greatest diversity in southern Asia. Conversely, proponents of an Asian origin must explain why there are no Asian Cocoseae and why the closest botanical relative to Cocos is in South America. Both hypotheses share the common problems of how, when, where and in what directions long-distance dispersal occurred.

HYPOTHESIS

These difficulties are resolved by accepting that C. nucifera originated and dispersed by populating emerging islands of the coral atoll ecosystem, where establishment conditions impose high selection pressures for survival. When lifted by wave action onto virtually sterile, soilless coralline rocks just above sea level and exposed to the full impact of the sun, seednuts must germinate, root and establish vigorous populations. The cavity within the nut augments the buoyancy provided by the thick husk, which in turn protects the embryo and, by delaying germination, simultaneously extends viability while floating and provides a moisture-retentive rooting medium for the young seedling. These adaptations allow coconuts to disperse widely through the coral atoll ecosystem.

CONCLUSIONS

The monthly production of fruit and the long floating duration ensure that viable seednuts are always available in the lagoon to replace those destroyed by hurricanes and tsunamis, or to populate newly emerged coral atolls elsewhere. Long-distance dispersal is secondary, because it was the spontaneous, independent migration of coral polyps on a prolonged geological time scale that generated new coral atolls in new areas where the coconuts would be amongst the earliest inhabitants. The coconut palm became an intermittent, itinerant, pioneer endemic there, and also on suitable beaches on volcanic or large islands and continental coastlines.