Reserve carbohydrates and lipids from the seeds of four tropical tree species with different sensitivity to desiccation

Author(s)

de Oliveira Mello, Juliana Iura ^[1] ; Barbedo, Claudio Jose ^[1] ; Salatino, Antonio ; Leone Figueiredo-Ribeiro, Rita de Cassia ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Secretaria Meio Ambiente Estado Sao Paulo, Inst Bot, BR-01061970 Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology; v. 53, n. 4, p. 889-899, JUL-AUG 2010.
• Web of Science Citations: 16

Abstract

Considering the importance of water content for the conservation and storage of seeds, and the involvement of soluble carbohydrates and lipids for embryo development, a comparative study was carried out among the seeds of Inga vera (ingá), Eugenia uniflora (pitanga), both classified as recalcitrant, and Caesalpinia echinata (brazilwood) and Erythrina speciosa (mulungu), considered as orthodox seeds. Low concentrations of cyclitols (0.3-0.5%), raffinose family oligosaccharides (ca. 0.05%) and unsaturated fatty acids (0-19%) were found in the seeds of ingá and pitanga, while larger amounts of cyclitols (2-3%) and raffinose (4.6-13%) were found in brazilwood and mulungu, respectively. These results, in addition to higher proportions of unsaturated fatty acids (53-71%) in orthodox seeds, suggested that sugars and lipids played important role in water movement, protecting the embryo cell membranes against injuries during dehydration. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 05/04139-7 - Carbohydrates of tropical species as modulators of ecophysiological processes and as environmental stress response markers
• Grantee: Marcia Regina Braga
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants