Morphoanatomical and histochemical studies of the seed development of Euterpe oleracea (Arecaceae)

Abstract

Although the consumption of açaí (Euterpe oleracea) pulp has long been an important component of the diet of the peoples from the Amazon, the açaí palm tree has recently attracted economic and scientific interest because of its vast array of bioactive compounds found in the fruit pericarp. The açaí seeds are the largest byproduct after pulp extraction and have potential for use in ethanol production, but this process is hindered by limited knowledge of seed biology, chemical composition and pattern reserve deposition during seed development. The aim of this work was to describe the morphoanatomical development of the seeds, as well as to identify the main organic compounds stored in the seeds. To achieve this goal, histological and histochemical analyses were performed on developing seeds. Results showed the seed is albuminous, bitegmic and that ingrowths of the seed coat give rise to a ruminate endosperm. Moreover, the nutritive reserves of açaí seeds are found in the endosperm thickened cell walls as reserve polysaccharides. Our findings provide information for future studies dealing with reproductive biology, propagation and the improvement of this profitable crop.

Acquiring thin histological sections of açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) seeds for molecular mapping by mass spectrometry imaging

“…mature seed. Açaí seed is formed by the seed coat, called testa or tegument, an embryo, and the endosperm 13,19 . The endosperm is majorly composed of mannan ( Figure 1b, x ), a polymer of the hexose mannose, which provides embryo protection, and serves as a reserve for seedling nutrition and development 11,14 .…”

“…A previous study has quantitatively analyzed the proteome dynamics and morphological aspects of the açaí pericarp and seed during the developmental stages 17,18 . Also, a recent histochemical study provided the presence of phenolic compounds and carbohydrates in the açaí seed coat and endosperm, respectivelly 19 . However, knowing its compounds’ distribution and specific composition can help develop optimized processing strategies to produce new products aiming to upgrade the açaí productive chain.…”

Phenolic Profile and Antioxidant Properties in Extracts of Developing Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) Seeds

“…Thus, in this study, we first evaluated the changes in TPC and antioxidant activity during the seed’s development. The developmental stages evaluated were chosen based on previous studies , that characterized critical morphological stages during the fruit development (i.e., from flower bud to mature fruit). In summary, S1 represents the early development of cellular division, S2 is the stage when cell expansion occurs, S3 displays the last stage before ripening, and S4 is the fully ripe fruit.…”

“…A detailed description of each development stage and the criteria for their collection can be found in previous works. 22,23 In the laboratory, the fruits were frozen with liquid nitrogen and freeze-dried. Afterward, the pulp and the seed were carefully separated from each other.…”

“…Açaí fruits in four distinct stages of development (S1, S2, S3, and S4) were collected in natural environmental conditions (without control of temperature, light, humidity, nutrition, or other variables) from a private supplier at the municipality of São Gonçalo do Amarante (03° 33′ 44″ S; 41° 05′ 32″ W), Ceará, Brazil. A detailed description of each development stage and the criteria for their collection can be found in previous works. , In the laboratory, the fruits were frozen with liquid nitrogen and freeze-dried. Afterward, the pulp and the seed were carefully separated from each other .…”