ABSTRACT
Annatto tree (Bixa orellana L.) is native to Brazil and is now under cultivation in many parts of world for its reddish orange ‘annatto’ dye. There are three types of landraces in annatto and they are distinguished based on fruit shape i.e., ovate, conical and hemispherical, whose pigment yield differs. Since annatto pigment yield varies with landrace, it is necessary to characterize markers towards the identification of landraces. In this study, we characterized water soluble polysaccharides (WSP) of twigs from three landraces using size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), fourier-transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and gas liquid chromatography (GLC) for their potential use as chemotaxonomic markers to distinguish the landraces. GLC analysis on WSP showed hemispherical type contained 38% rhamnose, while conical and ovate types contained 17% and 34% glucose, respectively. Thus, glucose and rhamnose content of WSP could be used to distinguish the three landraces. Further, differences in calculated molecular weight as revealed by SEC (281.8, 151.3 and 79.4 kDa for conical, hemispherical and ovate types, respectively) could also be used to distinguish the three landraces.
Subject(s)
Animals , Biomarkers/chemistry , Biomarkers/metabolism , Bixaceae/classification , Bixaceae/metabolism , Polysaccharides/chemistry , Polysaccharides/metabolism , Solubility , Water/chemistryABSTRACT
Cochlospermum regium é uma planta de áreas de cerrado, caatinga e pantanal. Na medicina popular é conhecida por "algodão-do-campo" e suas raízes são utilizadas para o tratamento de infecções uterinas, intestinais, gastrite, úlceras e artrite. Atualmente, o extrativismo e a destruição dos habitats naturais colocaram o algodão-do-campo na lista de espécies medicinais nativas prioritárias para conservação ex situ. O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver uma metodologia para a conservação in vitro do algodão-do-campo e fornecer subsídios para estudos de micropropagação da espécie. Sementes de algodão-do-campo foram testadas quanto à germinação in vitro pela escarificação ou não das sementes em ácido sulfúrico e inoculação em meio de cultura MS. Para a conservação in vitro, segmentos nodais retirados das plântulas germinadas in vitro foram avaliados por 90 dias sob três regimes de temperatura (10, 20, e 25ºC) e em três concentrações de meio WPM (½, ¾ e pleno). Verificou-se que sementes escarificadas apresentaram percentual de germinação in vitro de 93,3 por cento aos 30 dias, valor significativamente superior aos 13,3 por cento observados nas sementes não escarificadas. A conservação da espécie in vitro mostrou-se viável, desde que as culturas sejam mantidas em câmara de crescimento a 20ºC em meio de cultivo ½WPM. Sob estas condições os explantes mantiveram um crescimento mínimo e percentual de sobrevivência de 100 por cento, após três meses de avaliação.
Cochlospermum regium is a plant from cerrado, caatinga and pantanal areas. In popular medicine, it is known as "algodão-do-campo" and its roots are used to treat uterine and intestinal infections, gastritis, ulcers and arthritis. Nowadays, extraction activities and the destruction of natural habitats has made "algodão-do-campo" one of the major native medicinal species for ex situ conservation. The aim of this work was to develop a methodology for the in vitro conservation of "algodão-do-campo", contributing to studies on the micropropagation of this species. In vitro germination was evaluated in "algodão-do-campo" seeds subjected to scarification or not with sulfuric acid and inoculation in MS medium. For in vitro conservation, nodal segments from in vitro-germinated seedlings were evaluated for 90 days at three temperatures (10, 20 and 25ºC) and three WPM medium concentrations (½, ¾ and full-strength). Scarified seeds presented 93.3 percent in vitro germination at 30 days of cultivation, a significantly higher value than the 13.3 percent observed for non-scarified seeds. The in vitro conservation of "algodão-do-campo" showed to be viable once cultures are kept in a growth chamber at 20ºC in ½ WPM medium. Under such conditions, the explants presented a minimal growth and 100 percent survival after three evaluation months.