Sapucaia nut: Morphophysiology, minerals content, methodological validation in image analysis, phenotypic and molecular diversity in Lecythis pisonis Cambess

Thuanny Lins Monteiro Rosa; Caroline Palacio de Araujo; Charles Kamke; Adésio Ferreira; Márcia Flores da Silva Ferreira; João Paulo Bestete de Oliveira; Edilson Romais Schmildt; José Carlos Lopes; Liana Hilda Golin Mengarda; Wagner Campos Otoni; Alexandre Rosa Dos Santos; Rodrigo Sobreira Alexandre

doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109383

Sapucaia nut: Morphophysiology, minerals content, methodological validation in image analysis, phenotypic and molecular diversity in Lecythis pisonis Cambess

Food Res Int. 2020 Nov:137:109383. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109383. Epub 2020 Jun 4.

Affiliations

¹ Federal University of Espírito Santo/UFES, Center of Agricultural Sciences and Engineers, Alto Universitário, s/n, 29500-000 Alegre, ES, Brazil.
² Federal University of Espírito Santo/UFES, North University Center of Espírito Santo, Rodovia Governador Mário Covas, Km 60, 29932-540 São Mateus, ES, Brazil.
³ Federal Institute of Espírito Santo, Campus Alegre, BR 482, Km 7, CEP 29500-000 Alegre/Rive, ES, Brazil.
⁴ Federal University of Viçosa/UFV, Center of Biological Sciences and Health, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, 36570-000 Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
⁵ Federal University of Espírito Santo/UFES, Center of Agricultural Sciences and Engineers, Alto Universitário, s/n, 29500-000 Alegre, ES, Brazil. Electronic address: rsalexandre@pq.cnpq.br.

PMID: 33233085
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109383

Abstract

Sapucaia or Lecythis pisonis Cambess. is an ornamental tree that produces edible, tasty, and nutritious nuts, and can be used for timber production. Sapucaia has potential as a functional food, owing to optimal nutritional and particularly Se levels. The present study sought to characterize the seeds of 21 sapucaia matrices from forest remnants of a neotropical hotspot (Atlantic Forest) and farms in two Brazilian states. Biometrics, germination, vigor, lignin content in the teguments, minerals content, and phenotypic and molecular diversity were analyzed. The seeds of matrices 16 and 21 were the most vigorous. Nuts from matrices 21 and 17 contained the highest amounts of Se. Matrices 5, 8, and 21 were the most phenotypically distant; whereas matrix 21 was the most genetically distant. Importantly, we validated a new non-destructive and efficient X-ray-based methodology for internal and densitometric analysis of sapucaia seeds, and demonstrated a high genetic divergence among matrices.

Keywords: Biometry; Functional food; Genetic divergence; Germination; Sapucaia; Selenium; X-rays.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Brazil
Lecythidaceae*
Minerals
Nuts*
Seeds

Substances

Minerals