Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 September 2008
Seeds of wild rice (Zizania palustris var. interior) have been reported to show maximum survival when dehydrated at 25°C. It has also been reported that axis cells sustain least damage at this drying temperature. In the present study, a linear relationship between drying rate and dehydration temperature was established. Whereas the highest positive tetrazolium staining and lowest leakage were recorded for seeds dehydrated at 25°C, maximum germination was recorded for seeds dried at 20°C. A proportion of seeds showed glass formation irrespective of the dehydration temperatures used. Parameters of the glass to liquid transition, however, correlated with neither water content nor sugar profiles. The ratio of raffinose to sucrose was similar in all the treatments. A hydroperoxide test revealed a linear relationship between peroxide levels and drying temperature, although fatty acid amounts were not correlated with hydroperoxide amounts. Butanal amounts and total aldehydes evolved, on the other hand, showed a high negative correlation with peroxide amounts. Electron microscopy showed that the variability and relative abundance of peripheral membrane complexes (PMCs) was highest for embryonic axes dehydrated at 25°C and lowest for cells of embryonic axes of seeds dried at 10°C. Furthermore, intramembrane particles (IMPs) were evenly distributed in cells of axes dried at 25 or 37°C. In contrast, membranes of cells of axes dehydrated at 10°C showed large IMP-free areas. The relative abundance of IMPs was highest in cells of embryonic axes dried at 25°C and lowest in cells of axes dehydrated at 10°C. From these observations, it is suggested that membrane phase transitions, with the concomitant elimination of proteins, accompany dehydration of Z. palustris seeds at 10°C, whereas at 37°C peroxidation may predominate.