INTRODUÇÃOA pesquisa a respeito da utilização de testes de vigor, para se avaliar a qualidade fisiológica de sementes florestais, tem crescido nos últimos anos, devido à objetividade e rapidez com que são conduzidos e à obtenção de respostas de forma segura e eficiente.O teste de envelhecimento acelerado foi desenvolvido por Delouche (1965) e baseia-se no princípio de que sementes submetidas a temperatura e umidade relativa elevadas têm a deterioração aumentada, re- The accelerated aging test is usually used to evaluate seeds vigor and quality. This study aimed to investigate and establish relations among deterioration, physiological changes, and catalase enzyme activity, during the artificial aging process of Pterogyne nitens seeds. So, P. nitens seeds with and without dormancy overcoming, with the application of concentrated sulfuric acid (95-99%), for 10 minutes, were exposed to the accelerated aging test, for 0, 24, 48, and 72 hours, determining the germination percentage, lipids peroxidation, and catalase enzyme activity. The artificial aging process significantly affected the viability and vigor seeds, after a previous dormancy overcoming, with a decrease in germination and catalase enzyme activity and an increase in lipids peroxidation, during the aging process. For seeds that did not overcome dormancy, no relation among artificial aging, physiological changes, and enzyme activity was observed, so that dormancy acts as a protective mechanism for seeds oxidative stress.
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