Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: CAMILA FREIRE DE MELO

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL POTENTIAL OF Salicornia neei DEVELOPED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF  BIOFERTILIZER

 (CHITOSAN)  AND CHEMICAL FERTILIZER, IN THE PRODUCTION OF GREEN SALT AND AGRICULTURAL

 FERTILIZER.

Biopolymer. Green salt. Antioxidant activity. Biocompatibility. Rooting. plant growth

Marine asparagus, Salicornia neei, a halophyte plant native to the southern coast of Brazil, is widely known for its use of green salt in human food, in addition to having important secondary metabolites as nutrients and with pharmacological action. However, to increase the use of S. neei as food, biotechnological strategies aimed at increasing biomass are suggested. In this sense, they are necessary in order to expand knowledge on active biomolecules and nutritional importance in S. neei, as well as to evaluate the influence of the chitosan biopolymer as a fertilizer, aiming at the increase, quality and quantity of biomass in the production of green salt. Initial studies were carried out evaluating the content of minerals and pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoids) in the fresh aerial part of the plant. Then, extracts of S. neei were prepared with organic solvents (milli-q water, ethanol and ethanol - acetone 1:1), using different parts of the plant (leaf, stem and root), for knowledge of the physical-chemical characterization, antioxidant, antimicrobial action, in the induction of germination and toxicity of vegetable seeds (okra, bell pepper and lettuce). For antioxidant activity the DPPH free radical method was used and ascorbic acid as standard, antimicrobial activity by the disk diffusion method employing bacteria and fungi (Escherichia coli, Bacillus subitillis, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, C. guillermondi. The results obtained with S. neei showed higher levels of sodium (6.70%) and potassium (13.96%), and lower levels of N, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Mn. As for pigments, chlorophyll a (2.95 mg/g), chlorophyll b (4.76 mg/g) and carotenoids (2.42 mg/g) were observed. The physical-chemical characterization of the extracts from the different parts of the plant (leaf, stem and root) electrical conductivity was higher in water milli-q leaf 962 µS, followed by salinity 960 µS, while for stem conductivity and salinity showed similar values 286 µS, and also root with lower conductivity value 80.7 µS and salinity 80.6 µS. The solvent system with the highest solubility of active molecules with antioxidant activity was ethanol - acetone (1:1), indicating greater antioxidant activity 97.40% for the root, for the leaf 97.00% and for the stem 96.81%, all at a concentration of 40 mg/mL. The green salt will be analyzed under physical-chemical and microbiological conditions, at a temperature of 28°C and in a refrigerator at 5°C, for 90 days. The studies will be continued considering the promising results obtained with the nutritional composition of S. neei, allowing for future steps: influence of chitosan on rooting and promotion of quantity and quality of biomass, in addition to formulations to evaluate the phytoprotective potential of S. neei extracts. as a biodefensive. In this context, the execution of the proposed project aims to evaluate the usefulness of S. neei as green salt, as well as to generate a product that acts in pest control, which is biocompatible.