338
15 Polyesters
the applications of cutin from land plants can also be extended to those of aquatic
plants. In aquatic plants, the cuticle switches roles from primarily a water retention
feature to serving structural protective roles. Furthermore, despite terrestrial plants
being more abundant source of plant polyester, exploring cutin in aquatic plants
provides improved understanding of the role of cutin beyond water retention. It is
also an important additional source of plant biomass for cutin production, where
aquatic plants grow in excess (e.g., water hyacinth growth in lagoons), and it serves
as a means to manage aquatic plant growth through harvesting and utilizing them.
While some aquatic plants such as the water lotus are preserved, aquatic plant
considered sacred in some parts of the world and valued for the aesthetic appeal of
its flower. Other more abundant aquatic plants such as duckweed on the other hand
are of more economic potential as a source of commercial cutin production. It grows
as a green floating plant with no flower. Duckweed is globally endemic, growing in
most parts of the world. It has a relatively fast rate of growth at 80–100 tonnes dry
mass per hectare annually. Like many other aquatic plants, it grows at a much faster
rate than terrestrial plants, up to 5 times as fast as corn (Lam et al. 2014). Although
not yet commercially cultivated or harvested for cutin production on a large scale,
this much faster rate of biomass generation indicates a potentially reliable availability
of duckweed feedstock as a non-food source of cutin which does not require land
space for cultivation.
FAO reports the global aquatic plant production rate to be 30.1 million tonnes as of
2016 (FAO 2018). Much of this present is seaweed since the commercial applications
of the macroalgae have been well established, and therefore, seaweed has a wellestablished market and as such is more cultivated. As the industrial applications
of other aquatic plants such as duckweed become better established, more aquatic
farmers will be encouraged to cultivate and harvest them, thereby increasing their
market value. Cuticle from wild and cultivated plants is globally estimated at 180–
1500 kg per acre (Heredia 2003), and 8.9 × 10
9 acres of land are estimated to be
available for plant cultivation globally (FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO 2018).
40–80% of this cuticle by weight is cutin. Duckweed is one aquatic plant which serves
as a source of cutin and the cutin content and composition in this aquatic plant has
been studied (Borisjuk et al. 2018). 80–100 tonnes dry mass of duckweed is annually
attainable per hectare of aquatic space. There is therefore potential abundant source
of raw material for cutin production to be explored considering that aquatic plants
grow at up to five times faster rate than land plants and they are produced in spaces
which do not compete with land spaces occupied by humans, in addition to the fact
that the earth is about 71% water, and there is more space for expansion of aquatic
plant.
Genetic selection can be carried out to optimize the production of specific plant
metabolites by altering the growth parameters such as temperature, ultraviolet light
radiation, pH, water salinity among others. Such can be applied to improve the cutin
production by plants, aquatic plants included . As duckweed has attracted increasing
attention for its potential applications such as bioactives and biofuel production as a
cutin producing aquatic plant, this should also raise interest in optimizing such plant
for cutin production.
15 Polyesters
the applications of cutin from land plants can also be extended to those of aquatic
plants. In aquatic plants, the cuticle switches roles from primarily a water retention
feature to serving structural protective roles. Furthermore, despite terrestrial plants
being more abundant source of plant polyester, exploring cutin in aquatic plants
provides improved understanding of the role of cutin beyond water retention. It is
also an important additional source of plant biomass for cutin production, where
aquatic plants grow in excess (e.g., water hyacinth growth in lagoons), and it serves
as a means to manage aquatic plant growth through harvesting and utilizing them.
While some aquatic plants such as the water lotus are preserved, aquatic plant
considered sacred in some parts of the world and valued for the aesthetic appeal of
its flower. Other more abundant aquatic plants such as duckweed on the other hand
are of more economic potential as a source of commercial cutin production. It grows
as a green floating plant with no flower. Duckweed is globally endemic, growing in
most parts of the world. It has a relatively fast rate of growth at 80–100 tonnes dry
mass per hectare annually. Like many other aquatic plants, it grows at a much faster
rate than terrestrial plants, up to 5 times as fast as corn (Lam et al. 2014). Although
not yet commercially cultivated or harvested for cutin production on a large scale,
this much faster rate of biomass generation indicates a potentially reliable availability
of duckweed feedstock as a non-food source of cutin which does not require land
space for cultivation.
FAO reports the global aquatic plant production rate to be 30.1 million tonnes as of
2016 (FAO 2018). Much of this present is seaweed since the commercial applications
of the macroalgae have been well established, and therefore, seaweed has a wellestablished market and as such is more cultivated. As the industrial applications
of other aquatic plants such as duckweed become better established, more aquatic
farmers will be encouraged to cultivate and harvest them, thereby increasing their
market value. Cuticle from wild and cultivated plants is globally estimated at 180–
1500 kg per acre (Heredia 2003), and 8.9 × 10
9 acres of land are estimated to be
available for plant cultivation globally (FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO 2018).
40–80% of this cuticle by weight is cutin. Duckweed is one aquatic plant which serves
as a source of cutin and the cutin content and composition in this aquatic plant has
been studied (Borisjuk et al. 2018). 80–100 tonnes dry mass of duckweed is annually
attainable per hectare of aquatic space. There is therefore potential abundant source
of raw material for cutin production to be explored considering that aquatic plants
grow at up to five times faster rate than land plants and they are produced in spaces
which do not compete with land spaces occupied by humans, in addition to the fact
that the earth is about 71% water, and there is more space for expansion of aquatic
plant.
Genetic selection can be carried out to optimize the production of specific plant
metabolites by altering the growth parameters such as temperature, ultraviolet light
radiation, pH, water salinity among others. Such can be applied to improve the cutin
production by plants, aquatic plants included . As duckweed has attracted increasing
attention for its potential applications such as bioactives and biofuel production as a
cutin producing aquatic plant, this should also raise interest in optimizing such plant
for cutin production.