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Free Amino Acids in the Leaves of Salvinia natans and Azolla filiculoides Grown in Light and Dark
Author(s) -
Lähdesmäki P.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1968.tb07337.x
Subject(s) - amino acid , butyric acid , darkness , glutamine , asparagine , chemistry , ammonia , botany , nitrogen , azolla , chromatography , biology , food science , biochemistry , organic chemistry
Free amino acids were determined quantitatively by thin‐layer chromatography and identified by various chromatographic methods in the leaves of two floating water ferns. Special interest was paid to the amount of γ‐amino butyric acid. Water soluble nitrogen compounds increase in the leaves of both plants during the growth of three to four weeks in darkness. Compounds especially accumulating are ammonia and the amides asparagine and glutamine. The amount of most proper amino acids is reduced in the dark, except γ‐amino butyric acid, which, in addition to amides, is the main amino compound increasing in darkness. 0.1 M HCl extracts the greatest amount of nitrogen compounds of low molecular weight from the dried leaves of the experimental plants. If we denote the amount of the dissolved amino compounds as 100 per cent, we can say that water extracts 96 per cent of the amino compounds, and that an 80 per cent ethanol solution extracts 79 per cent of these compounds.