In vitro and cryogenic preservation of plant biodiversity in Brazil

Abstract

The Brazilian biomes (Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, Caatinga, Pantanal, and Pampa) comprise one of the highest levels of plant diversity in the world; however, non-sustainable practices, deforestation, and land use have resulted in significant losses and fragmentation of the native forests. These ecosystems are now threatened and protection of their native plants through ex situ conservation is an urgent necessity. Cryopreservation and in vitro conservation are complementary options for securing and protecting Brazil's native plant species because their potential economic value is critically important to develop strategies that will (1) support their sustainable utilization, (2) protect against the over-exploitation of species growing in natural habitats, and (3) conserve the genetic diversity of germplasm from species of different provenances. Biotechnological approaches will help to address future economic and environmental demands placed upon already at-risk species. Conserving seed germplasm ex situ provides an additional safeguard against the risks (e.g., loss due to disease, climate change) of field conservation. Moreover, seed banks and cryobanks permit the long-term conservation of a wider genetic base; this offsets the labor and space intensive costs of conserving in the active growing state. This paper is a compilation of the current status of strategies applied for conserving Brazilian native plant species.

Seed cryopreservation of Passiflora species

“…The development of cryopreservation protocols for native plants from Brazil is still limited, with most of the efforts directed toward species that are economically important (Pilatti et al, 2011). Given these circumstances, the aim of this study was to evaluate the cryopreservation of Passiflora seed species, using different cryoprotectants.…”

Encapsulamento, crioproteção e desidratação na capacidade regenerativa de ápices caulinares de Genipa americana

“…Nesse sentido, a aplicação de técnicas de cultura de tecidos de plantas como estratégia complementar à conservação da variabilidade genética existente e para acelerar a multiplicação de genótipos promissores torna-se imprescindível (PILATTI et al, 2011). Diversas técnicas baseadas no crescimento lento ou na criopreservação têm sido empregadas para a conservação do material vegetal in vitro.…”

Viability of Brazilwood seeds (Caesalpinia echinata Lam.) stored at room temperature in controlled atmospheres

“…Ex situ conservation of germplasm not only aims to exploit the economic potential of plant material, but also the preservation of endangered species, especially those with shortages of natural remnants (Pilatti et al, 2011;. Among the forms of conservation, seed storage is considered safe and economically viable because, depending on the species and environmental conditions, the seeds can maintain their viability for decades, centuries or even millennia (Marcos-Filho, 2005;Ellis and Hong, 2006;Sallon et al, 2008;.…”

“…Among the forms of conservation, seed storage is considered safe and economically viable because, depending on the species and environmental conditions, the seeds can maintain their viability for decades, centuries or even millennia (Marcos-Filho, 2005;Ellis and Hong, 2006;Sallon et al, 2008;. However, the lack of basic knowledge about the behavior of seeds in many forest species, mainly the ones native from Brazil, hampers the use of this conservation strategy (Pilatti et al, 2011). It is known that the conservation of Caesalpinia echinata Lam., Brazilwood, for example, requires sub-zero temperatures (Hellmann et al, 2006), but the factors that lead to loss the viability of these seeds in less than 60 days when stored at or close to the ambient temperature are not known (Barbedo et al, 2002).…”

“…It is known that the conservation of Caesalpinia echinata Lam., Brazilwood, for example, requires sub-zero temperatures (Hellmann et al, 2006), but the factors that lead to loss the viability of these seeds in less than 60 days when stored at or close to the ambient temperature are not known (Barbedo et al, 2002). This is a species that, in addition to its historical importance to Brazil and being one of the most important flora currently at risk of extinction and of its economic and pharmacological potential (Pilatti et al, 2011;Lamarca and Barbedo, 2012;Cruz-Silva et al, 2013;Gomes et al, 2014), produces seeds of great scientific interest because they are tolerant to desiccation, but with low storage capacity.…”