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Extraction,isolation and identification of germination inhibitors in Amorphophallus konjac corms

Sun Yuanming, Liu Peiying, Zhao Yuying, Liu Chaogui, Su Chenggang

Department of Agricultural Biology,South China Agricultural University.Guangzhou 510642,Guangdong；China；School of Pharmaceutical Sciences,Beijing Medical University.Beijing 100083

Abstract

The germination inhibitors in dormant konjac corms were extracted, isolated and identified. The volatile extract from dormant konjac corms by steam distillation or refluxing with petroleum ether was found to have no effect on the germination of Chinese cabbage seeds. The other constituents in dormant konjac corms were extracted with methanol or ethanol, concentrated to aqueous phase and then separated into basic, acidic, phenolic and neutral compounds by extraction with ethyl acetate under different pH conditions. The crude acidic extract was found to inhibit the germination of Chinese cabbage and nondormant konjac seeds but the basic, phenolic and neutral extracts had no effect on the germination of the seeds of these plants. The acidic extract purified by DEAE-cellulose ion exchange column and silica gel thin-layer chromatography was found to contain abscisic acid (ABA), ferulic and oleic acids as identified by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Exogenous ABA at concentration of and above 10 mg/L and ferulic acid at 400 mg/L were found to inhibit the sprouting and growth of terminal buds of nondormant konjac corms after soaking in them for 1 h and oleic acid had no effect on it. Therefore, we suggested that ABA and ferulic acid was the inhibitors of germination in dormant konjac corms.

Key words: Amorphophallus kon jac K. Koch;Corm;Germination inhibitor;Dormancy

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Citing This Article：

Sun Yuanming, Liu Peiying, Zhao Yuying, Liu Chaogui, Su Chenggang. Extraction,isolation and identification of germination inhibitors in Amorphophallus konjac corms. Acta Physiol Sin 1996; 48 (3): (in Chinese with English abstract).