Where does the latex of Humulus lupulus come from? anatomical, histochemical and ultrastructural analyses of the laticifers

Abstract

The study of secretory structures in plant species has huge importance inside Botany, and even in Biological Sciences, due to its applications in several areas of human knowledge. The laticifers, one of those secretory structures, are characterized by the production of an emulsion, denominated latex, responsible for having many chemical compounds, of the most varied functions on the interaction plant-environment. In the species of the family Cannabaceae, which members include weed (Cannabis sativa) and hop (Humulus lupulus), there is a big gap in the knowledge of these structures: the presence of latex has been registered for a long time, but the characterization of the correspondent structures to laticifers has never been defined or studied. Thus, this project has the objective to clarify the detailed morphology (anatomy and ultrastructure) of the laticifer and the chemical composition of the latex in Humulus lupulus L., through anatomical and ultrastructural studies, and histochemical tests performed in the leaves and stem of the plant. With the addition of unpublished information about laticifers, it is expected to enrich future researches and update information about the species and family.