Long pepper (Piper hispidinervumC. DC.) is a native plant characterized by the production of safrol, a secondary metabolite used in the production of perfumes, cosmetics and insecticides. In the present work the potential use of synthetic seeds technology as an alternative to in vitropropagation of long pepper was evaluated. The influence of capsule constitution on formation and conversion of in vitroencapsulated units was also studied. Long pepper pre-germinated 21-day old seeds were used as material for encapsulation. The concentration of sodium alginate used in the encapsulation matrix was 1,5% (p/v) and this consistency was tested in water or MS at full (100%), 3/4 (75%) and ½ (50%) concentration of salt and vitamins, associated or not to active charcoal (3 g L-1), as nutritional elements of the capsule. After encapsulation, cultures were maintained in a growth room at 25±2ºC and a photoperiod of 16 h at 30 mmol m-2s-1, where the conversion rate and height of the plants were evaluated for a month. The experimental design was of randomized blocks arranged in a 2 x 4 factorial scheme, with five replicates and ten encapsulated units for replicate. It was verified that The employment of a synthetic endosperm constituted by MS at ¾ concentration, enriched with active charcoal (3 g L-1) (85.8% of conversion) or MS at full concentration, independently of active charcoal (76.5%), promoted the best results on the conversion of synthetic seeds of long pepper. The height of the plants was not affected by the MS concentrations and addition of active charcoal to the capsule.
Piper hispidinervum; micropropagation; artificial seeds; encapsulated units; sodium alginate; active charcoal
