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A protocol for somatic embryogenesis in Azadirachta indica A Juss. has been standardized using in vivo leaflets. Experiments were carried out to examine the effect of various auxins, cytokinins, sucrose, inorganic and organic salts on subsequent somatic embryo induction and maturation. Embryogenic calli were induced on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 1.5 mg dm -3 kinetin and 1.5 mg dm -3 indole-3-acetic acid and subsequently all the stages of somatic embryo development (globular, cordate, torpedo and cotyledonary) were observed. Maturation of these embryos was accomplished with the same growth regulators after three subcultures. The histological study of somatic embryos showed resembles to zygotic embryos. The matured somatic embryos were transferred onto half strength MS-medium devoid of growth regulators for their germination (82 %). Plantlets were acclimatized in the field with a survival rate of 80 -83.5 %.Additional key words: indole-3-acetic acid, kinetin, KNO 3 , neem.

The fatty acid tomposition of areca-nut fat was determined by the usual esterfractionation method, using an electrically heated and packed column for fractional distillation under high vacuum (0.2 mm.). The glyceride structure was studied by crystallization of the neutral fat from acetone and ether; the composition of each of these glyceride fractions was studied by the fractionation method and the final possible glyceride composition computed therefrom. The chief component acids are Iauric (19'5y0), myristic (462%) and palmitic ( 12.7y0), and in the unsaturated portion oleic (6-2y0), linoleic (5.4%) and hexadecenoic acid (7.2%). Minor proportions of stearic, decanoic and of unsaturated monoethylenic C,, and C,, acids are also present. The chief component glycerides are (i) 56% of fully saturated (trimyristin, dimyristins and lauromyristopalmitin) ; (ii) 30% of mono-unsaturated-disaturated (mainly hexadecenolauromyristin, with some oleo-(1inoleo)myristopalmitins and dimyristins) ; (iii) 14% of diunsaturated-monosaturated (oleolinoleoglycerides, mostly oleolinoleopalmitin). The glyceride composition follows closely Hilditch's rule of widest distribution of acyl radicals in the glyceride molecules. The fully saturated glyceride content of the fat, determined separately b y the method of Hilditch & Lea,l is 53.7%. The fully saturated components are found to contain (by the fractionation method) : 1 g . 4 y~ of lauric, 54.6% of myristic, 19.2% of palmitic and 6.8% of stearic acids. The proportions of various acids in the fully saturated components are similar to the corresponding ones in the saturated acid portion of the whole fat. IntroductionAt the time of his investigations, the modern methods were not well developed and Longenecker's fractionating column3 was unknown. Recently a sample of areca-nut fat was extracted and examined by the authors in this Laboratory. The nuts were of areca palm (Areca catechzc, a species of the Palmae family) grown in Bengal (India). The fatty acid composition of the fat and the probable nature of its component glycerides were studied and are recorded here.

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