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Effects of flooding under hydrostatic pressure on the respiratory metabolism of germinated wheat seeds
Author(s) -
Malki Eli,
Waisel Yoav,
Pesis Edna
Publication year - 1989
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.1399-3054.1989.tb05386.x
Subject(s) - germination , acetaldehyde , hydrostatic pressure , ethanol , chemistry , sucrose , fermentation , osmotic pressure , ethanol fuel , sugar , metabolism , ethanol fermentation , agronomy , botany , food science , horticulture , biology , biochemistry , physics , thermodynamics
Germinated wheat seeds ( Triticum aestivum L. cv. Barqai) that had been subjected to short hydrostatic pressure treatments (0.3–1.2 MPa) changed their normal metabolism into one which is characterized by a high ethanol production, a low O 2 consumption and a low CO 2 evolution. Alcoholic fermentation could account for ca half of the CO 2 evolved from the pressurized seeds. The level of acetaldehyde was low, though significantly higher in the pressurized seeds than in the controls. Subjection of wheat seeds to osmotic stress under aerobic conditions lowered their O 2 uptake and CO 2 evolution but did not induce ethanol production. Exposure of pressurized seeds to NaCl stress did not alter their ethanol production beyond that which had been induced by pressure. Ethanol production by pressurized seeds increased following either the addition of sucrose or by excision of the embryos from the endosperms. More electrolytes leaked into the embedding solution from pressurized seeds than from control seeds. Exogenous ethanol was toxic to wheat seeds at concentrations as low as 343 m M . The effects of hydrostatic pressure and of the consequently induced ethanol production on the mortality of flooded seeds is discussed.