Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Alternations in phenolic acids content in developing rye grains in normal environment and during enforced dehydration

  • Published:
Acta Physiologiae Plantarum Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A series of high pressure liquid chroamtography analyses revealed the presence of five phenolic acids in rye caryopses (vanillic, caffeic, p-coumaric, ferulic and sinapic), three of which (p-coumaric, ferulic and sinapic) were found in the free phenolic fraction. Ferulic acid was predominant, both among free acids and total phenolic acids (i.e. free, liberated from soluble esters and glycosides). The highest content of the free phenolic acids in rye caryopses was observed at the beginning of development, when on 22 DAF it was estimated at 11.55 µg·g−1 DW. During dehydratation the total level of free phenolic acids in rye caryopses decreased in all investigated samples. Although total phenolic acids contents in all samples of unripe rye caryopses always decreased after dehydration, in rye sample collected in full ripeness (57 DAF), the amount of these compounds increased after the enforced dehydration. It should be added that in ester-bound-soluble phenolic acids fraction (the largest part in the total phenolic acids fraction), irrespective of the total amount decrease, much increase of sinapic acid content in this fraction was observed after dehydratation treatment in all investigated samples of caryopses of various ripeness. During the development and ripening of rye caryopses, a gradual increase in the precocious germination ability of the grain was observed. The enforced dehydration stimulated the process of precocious germination of developing and ripening rye caryopses. A possible role of phenolics in preventing precocious germination and acclimation to dehydration of developing and ripening rye grains is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amarowicz R., Piskuła M., Honke J., Rudnicka B., Troszyńska A., Kozłowska H. 1995. Extraction of phenolic compounds from lentil seeds (Lens culinaris) with various solvents, Pol. J. Food Nutr. Sci. 4/85: 53–62.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baskin C.C. Baskin J.M. 1998. Seeds. Ecology, biogeography, and evolution of dormancy and germination. Acad. Press. New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bergmark C.L., Jackson W.A., Volke R.J., Blum U. 1992. Differential inhibition by ferulic acid of nitrate and ammonium uptake in Zea mays L. Plant Physiol. 98: 639–645.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blum U., Dalton B.R., Shann J.R. 1985. Effects of various mixtures of ferulic acid and some of its microbial metabolic products on cucumber leaf expansion and dry matter in nutrient culture. J. Chem. Ecol. 11: 619–641.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chow Y.J., Lin C. 1991. p-Hydroxy benozic acid as the major phenolic germination inhibitor of papaya seed. Seed Sci. Technol. 19: 167–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon R.D., Paiva N.L. 1995. Stress-induced phenylpropanoid metabolism. Plant Cell 7: 1085–1097.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Graham T.L., Patterson B.D. 1982. Responses of plants to low, non-freezing temperatures: proteins, metabolism and acclimation. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 33: 347–382.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harborne J.B. 1964. Phenolic glycosides and their natural distribution. In: Biochemistry of Phenolic Compounds. Academic Press, London: 78–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holappa L.D., Blum U. 1991. Effects of exogenous ferulic acid, potential alleopathic compound on leaf growth, water utilization and endogenous abscisic acid levels of tomato, cucumber and bean. J. Chem. Ecol. 17: 865–886.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ingram J., Bartels D. 1996. The molecular basis of dehydration tolerance in plants. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 47: 377–403.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Janas K.M., Cvikrova M., Pałągiewicz A., Eder J. 2000. Alternations in phenylopropanoid content in soybean roots during low temperature acclimation. Plant Physiol. Biochem. 38: 587–593.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Janovicek K.J., Vyn T.J., Voroney R.P., Allen O.B. 1997. Early corn seedling growth response to phenolic acids. Can. J. Plant Sci. 77: 391–393.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • King R.W. 1982. Abscisic acid in seed development. In: Khan, A. A. (ed), The physiology and biochemistry of seed development, dormancy and germination. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 157–181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krygier K., Sosulski F.W., Hogge L. 1982. Free, esterified, and insoluble-bound phenolic acids. 1. Extraction and purification procedure. J. Agric. Food Chem. 30: 330–334.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lenoir C., Corbineau F., Come D. 1986. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) seed dormancy as related to glumella characteristics. Physiol. Plant. 68: 301–307.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li H.H., Inoue M., Nishimura H., Mizutani J., Tsuzuki E. 1993. Interactions of trans-cinnamic acid, its related phenolic alleochemicals, and abscisic acid in seedling growth and seed germination of letture. J. Chem. Ecol. 19: 1775–1787.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nutbeam A.R., Briggs D.E. 1982. Gibberellin-phenol interactions in plant extracts. Phytochem. 21: 2217–2223.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sathiyamoorthy P. 1990. Identification of vanillic acid and p-coumaric acids as endogenous germination inhibitors of soybean seeds germination and their inhbitory effect on germination. J. Plant Physiol. 136: 120–121.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Solecka D. 1997. Role of phenylpropanoid compounds in plant responses to different stress factors. Acta Physiol. Plant 19: 257–268.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tayal M. S., Sharma M. 1982. Interaction of phenols and indole acetic acid on germination and early seedling growth of Cicer arietinum L. India J. Plant Physiol. 28: 271–276.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vanghan D., Ord B.G. 1991. Extraction of potential allelochemicals and their effects on root morphology and nutrient contents. In: Plant Root Growth and Ecological Perspective, ed by A. Atkins. Blackwell Scientific Publications. Oxford: 399–421.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vaughan D., Ord B. 1990. Influence of phenolic acids on morphological changes in roots of Pisum sativum. J. Sci. Food Agr. 52: 289–299.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang M., Van der Veen S.W., Boot M.J., Van Duijn B. 2000. Role of endogenous ABA levels in GA responsiveness and germination of developing barley grains. Physiol. Plant. (in press).

  • Weidner S. 1988. The role of the embryoless parts of triticale caryopses in inhibiting precocious germination and transcription in the embryo during development and maturation of caryopses. Acta Soc. Bot. Pol., 57: 481–491.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weidner S., Amarowicz R., Karamać M., Fr⇂czek E. 2000. Changes in endogenous phenolic acids during development of Secale cereale caryopses and after dehydration treatment of unripe rye grains. Plant Physiol. Biochem., 38: 595–602.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weidner S., Paprocka J., Kamieniecki B., Zadernowski R. 1993. The role of phenolic acids in dormancy of barley caryopses. In: Pre-Harvest Sprouting in Cereals 1992, ed by M.K. Walker-Simmons and J.L. Ried. American Association of Cereal Chemists. St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zadernowski R., Kozłowska H. 1983. Phenolic acids in soybean and rapeseed flours. Lebensm. Wiss. Technol. 16: 110–114.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Kortowo, Pl. Łódzki 3, 10-718, Olsztyn, Poland

    Stanisław Weidner & Ewa Frączek

  2. Division of Food Science, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences, Tuwima St. 10, P.O. Box 55, 10-718, Olsztyn 5, Poland

    Ryszard Amarowicz

  3. Lab. of Molec. Cell Biol., College of Agriculture, Ehime University, 3-5-7 Tarumii, Matsuyama, 7901, Ehime, Japan

    Shunnosuke Abe

Authors
  1. Stanisław Weidner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ewa Frączek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ryszard Amarowicz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shunnosuke Abe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stanisław Weidner.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Weidner, S., Frączek, E., Amarowicz, R. et al. Alternations in phenolic acids content in developing rye grains in normal environment and during enforced dehydration. Acta Physiol Plant 23, 475–482 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-001-0058-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-001-0058-1

Key words

Search

Navigation