Improving the germination of Crataegus pseudoheterophylla seed and determining the chemical compositions of fruit and seed

The genus of hawthorn(Crataegus L.) is considered as the most important ornamental and medicinal shrubs and is resistant to environmental conditions. Its seed germination is poor, due to stony endocarp and embryo dormancy. In order to evaluate the germination of Crataegus pseudoheterophylla seed under mechanical scarification and hydrogen peroxide treatments, the seeds were sown in plastic pots as randomized completely block design (RCBD) with three replicates. Treatments including mechanical scarification and soaking in 1% hydrogen peroxide for 0, 40, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210 and 240 minutes in combination with alternate layering (one month at 4°C and 2 weeks at 23°C, one month at 4°C and 2 weeks at 23°C, 4 weeks at 4°C) were applied. Carotenoid contents, anthocyanin, soluble carbohydrates, and minerals in fruit and seed were determined. The highest germination percentage was obtained in mechanical scarification (19.7%) for 240 min. and in hydrogen peroxide (26.7%) for 120 min. In fruit and seed, the amount of Carotenoid, anthocyanin, soluble carbohydrates were 0.598 and 0.27 mg/FW, 6.3 and 0.33 mg/g DW, 89.3 and 15.4 g/100 g DW, respectively. Also, the concentrations of Ca, P, K, Mg, and N were 3076.4 and 892 mg/Kg, 2023.9 and 701.8 mg/Kg, 6391.3 and 1456 mg/Kg, 904.6 and 346.4 mg/Kg, 1.2 and 0%, respectively. It is concluded that seeds of hawthorn including deep endocarp and physiological dormancy and fruit and seed of hawthorn are a rich source of phenolic contents, soluble carbohydrates, carotenoids and minerals.