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Polysaccharides and germination: Some chemical changes that occur during the germination of white mustard
Author(s) -
Gould Sheila E. B.,
Rees D. A.
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740161203
Subject(s) - germination , cotyledon , stachyose , raffinose , polysaccharide , sucrose , fructose , botany , seedling , white mustard , galactose , chemistry , biology , food science , biochemistry
Information has been obtained about the general nature of some chemical changes that occur during the germination of white mustard, with the object of providing background information for a detailed study of the role of cell wall polysaccharides. (1) During the germination of mustard seeds a number of reserve materials are used which occur largely in the cotyledons; the most important of them would appear to be proteins (during the first few days) and fats (during the later stages). (2) Although sucrose, stachyose and raffinose are present in only small amounts in mustard seeds, they seem to have a reserve function. During germination, the galactose units of the raffinose and stachyose are utilised rapidly and virtually completely, whereas the net utilisation of glucose and fructose units is very incomplete and relatively large amounts of free glucose and fructose accumulate. (3) The chemical character of the polysaccharides present in the cotyledons suggests that they have functions in the cell walls, rather than as reserves. Chemical analysis showed only minor fluctuations in the total amount of these polysaccharides during germination. (4) 14 C‐Sucrose supplied to the germinating seed was utilised in a variety of ways. Some of the radioactivity was incorporated into the pectic fraction of the cotyledon polysaccharides, showing that this component of the cotyledon cell walls is not inert during germination.