Polyamine, amino acid, and carbohydrate profiles during seed storage of threatened woody species of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest may be associated with seed viability maintenance

Abstract

Due to the economic importance of wood production, species including Cedrela fissilis Vell. and Cariniana legalis (Mart.) Kuntze have been heavily exploited and are currently threatened with extinction. In addition, these species produce seeds with low viability when stored for long periods. In this work, the effect of storage time on seedling emergence and alterations in the levels of biomolecules such as carbohydrates, polyamines (PAs), and amino acids were analyzed in C. fissilis and C. legalis seeds. Seedling emergence and the emergence speed index were significantly reduced during seed storage in both species, with a greater reduction for C. legalis seeds. Sucrose was detected in both species, with the highest levels in C. fissilis seeds, whereas the monosaccharides glucose and fructose were detected only in C. legalis seeds. Higher levels of putrescine (Put) were observed in C. legalis seeds than in C. fissilis seeds. In contrast, C. fissilis seeds showed a significant increase in most of the amino acids analyzed. These results suggest that the presence of glucose and fructose, the higher level of Put, and the lower levels of amino acids observed in C. legalis seeds may be associated with greater reductions in vigor and seedling emergence compared with C. fissilis seeds. This is the first report showing these relationships among carbohydrates, PAs, and amino acids in these species and may be useful for further studies on seed conservation of timber species.