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

Abstract

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 re…