Myristica cagayanensis

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Common products:
The species yields two principal products: nutmeg seed and mace aril, used respectively as a spice and as a flavoring and food ingredient. Essential oil is obtained from both seed and aril via hydrodistillation or steam distillation; aril oil is often valued for higher aromatic content. Fixed (seed) oil is extracted by pressing or solvent extraction for culinary and technical uses.

Industrial and craft applications:
Fixed oil from seeds is used in food frying and confectionery due to its neutral flavor and technical triglyceride profile. For technical uses, its fatty-acid composition (rich in glycerides of lauric and myristic acids) supports stability and workability in shortenings and frying operations. Wood can be sawn or processed into local construction components.

Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Ground nutmeg and mace serve as spices in baked goods, confections, meats, soups, and sauces. Essential oil and oleoresin are incorporated as flavoring concentrates in dairy, beverage, and bakery bases; standardization of flavor strength is common to maintain batch-to-batch consistency.

Colorants and tanning:
Aril and seed contain tannins and phenolics that produce brown colorations and are used to tan leather; the aril typically yields deeper reddish-brown hues than the seed. The tannin class is non-hydrolyzable.

Wood and fiber:
Wood is used as local timber; fiber use is not documented.

Fragrance and cosmetics:
Seed and aril essential oils are used in perfumery and in trace amounts in cosmetics under flavor/-fragrance regulations; the oils contain methyleugenol, eugenol, elemicin, myristicin, and safrole. Due to the presence of methyleugenol, cosmetic use requires compliance with maximum level limits or market-specific restrictions.

Properties relevant to use:
The aril is rich in essential oil (hydrocarbon phenylpropanoids and minor sesquiterpenes), providing characteristic aroma. Seeds contain 25–40% fixed oil with a triglyceride profile dominated by lauric and myristic acids, conferring neutral flavor and high thermal stability suitable for frying. Aril and seed contain non-hydrolyzable tannins that yield brown dyes and serve in tanning.

Standards and regulation:
Nutmeg essential oil specifications are given in ISO 3216. Flavor and fragrance uses are governed internationally under the FEMA GRAS list and EU Regulation 1334/2008 for flavoring substances and food flavorings; the latter includes specific limits for methyleugenol in flavoring preparations. Cosmetic use is subject to market-specific regulations that address methyleugenol.

Sustainability and sourcing:
Myristica cagayanensis is assessed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with habitat loss cited as a primary threat. Commercial production is generally from cultivated Myristica fragrans rather than wild collections. Sustainable practice emphasizes cultivated production, selective harvesting to avoid overexploitation of arils and seeds, and traceability to wild or plantation sources.

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No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

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