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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #71948
Title: OCCURRENCE OF PINITOL IN DEVELOPING SOYBEAN SEED TISSUES

Author
item Kuo, Tsung Min
item LOWELL, C - CENTRAL STATE UNIV, OHIO

Submitted to: Crop Science Newsletter
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/8/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Pinitol was found to be a major cyclitol present in developing soybean seed tissues. The identity of pinitol was confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography and gas liquid chromatography, and by mass spectra identical with authentic pinitol. Changes in the concentration of pinitol were compared to those of myo-inositol, starch, and raffinose saccharides in seed coats, cotyledons, and embryonic axes of field-grown soybeans (Glycine max L. Merr. cv Williams 82) during seed development. In all three tissues, as seeds were progressing toward maturity, there were very strong correlations between the decrease of myo-inositol and starch and the increase of raffinose saccharides. Pinitol also had a strong negative correlation with raffinose saccharides in both seed coats and axes, but this correlation was insignificant in cotyledons. There was a sharp decrease in pinitol concentration in all tissues as axes turned yellow and rapidly accumulated a large amount of raffinose saccharides. The results suggest that pinitol may represent a transient component of the carbon pool in soybean seed tissues during development toward physiological maturity.