Abstract
Root exudate of Vigna unguiculata was extracted from a soil system consisting of charcoal and vermiculite. Germination stimulating activity for Striga gesnerioides was found in extracts of the soil system, and an active compound was isolated. The chemical structure of the active ingredient was determined to be (+)-4-O-acetylorobanchol, based on analysis of the spectral data of 1-D and 2-D NMR together with nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) experiments. Application of the active compound to the seeds of S. gesnerioides at a concentration of 0.35 × 10−9 mol/disk led to 69% germination. The germination observed with application of GR-24, a positive control, at 0.57 × 10−10 mol/disk was 80%.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank Mr. K. Watanabe and Dr. E. Fukushi, GC-MS and NMR laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University for NMR, EI-MS, FD-MS and FD-HR-MS measurements. The authors also acknowledge Prof. Yukihiro Sugimoto (Kobe University) for instructing us how to perform seed germination assay, Dr. E. O. Owusu (University of Ghana, Legon) for helping us to collect the seeds of S. gesnerioides, and ICRISAT for kindly gift of the seeds of cowpea.
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Matsuura, H., Ohashi, K., Sasako, H. et al. Germination stimulant from root exudates of Vigna unguiculata . Plant Growth Regul 54, 31–36 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-007-9224-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-007-9224-9