Potenciais biotecnológicos e caracterização fenotípica de Eugenia patrisii Vahl

Abstract

Amazonian biodiversity is home to species with great potential for integrating environmental conservation, biotechnological innovation, and sustainable development. Among them, Eugenia patrisii Vahl (Myrtaceae) stands out for its many applications, including fruit production, the restoration of degraded areas, and the extraction of essential oils of economic interest. In cultivation conditions, it exhibits intraspecific variations manifested in different phenotypes. Thus, the objective was to characterize the species’ biotechnological potential and its phenotypes, with an emphasis on the morphophysiology and biochemistry of fruits, seeds, and germination, as well as the antioxidant activity of the leaf essential oil. First, a literature review was conducted on the potential of Eugenia species to provide raw materials and establish crops; subsequently, sowing was carried out, and the germination and initial growth of the seedlings were monitored using descriptive, quantitative, and comparative approaches for seven phenotypes (F1 through F7), Subsequently, the nutritional content of the fruit pulp and the mobilization of primary reserves of carbohydrates, amino acids, and proteins from the seeds of the distinguished phenotypes—F2, F3, and F6—were analyzed, and, finally, the essential oil was extracted from the leaves of the species, and its composition and electron-scavenging activity against ABTS and DPPH radicals were described. The literature review revealed gaps regarding germination, chemical composition, and biological activity, particularly for Eugenia patrisii. From the germination and post- germination experiments, 28 traits were described, which were used to assess the divergence among the seven phenotypes (F1 through F7), including the biometry and morphoanatomy of fruits, seeds, and seedlings, as well as germination parameters; this information is previously unpublished for this species. For these criteria, F2, F3, and F6 performed distinctly compared to the others, forming a separate group, indicating intraspecific resources for the selection of species for silviculture. In contrast, F7 fell short of the others for the same parameters, failing even to produce seedlings for analysis. Regarding the mobilization of primary seed reserves, it was possible to identify distinct strategies for the synthesis and degradation of carbohydrates and proteins among the F2, F3, and F6 phenotypes, which sometimes adopt a conservative metabolic strategy and sometimes a dynamic one. The nutritional composition of the fruits revealed that the pulp had a high carbohydrate content—which significantly distinguished F2—and a high protein content—which set F6 apart from the other two—suggesting their potential for use in different types of dietary supplements. The extracted essential oil had a yield of 2.48%, while its chemical composition was notably dominated by sesquiterpenes (95.2%), particularly oxygenated sesquiterpenes (47.9%). The major constituent was β- elemene, at 21%, followed by compounds belonging to the cardinol skeleton group, while for the DPPH assay, the inhibition percentage was 51.4 ± 0.6%, and the ABTS assay indicated a TEAC value of 254 ± 2.0, suggesting moderate to strong antioxidant activity, with oxygenated sesquiterpenes being directly correlated with this potential. Furthermore, this study provides new insights into the morphology and physiology of E. patrisii, filling important gaps in our knowledge of the species. The results expand the available scientific basis and provide a foundation for its conservation, domestication, and sustainable use, while also strengthening research aimed at utilizing other native Amazonian fruit trees.