Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-11T12:32:53.106Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A mechanism of seed deterioration in relation to the volatile compounds evolved by dry seeds themselves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2008

Ming Zhang ,
Yutaka Maeda ,
Yasunaga Furihata ,
Yasuo Nakamaru  and
Yohji Esashi
Ming Zhang
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Science, Tohoku University, Kawauchi, Aobaku, Sendai 980, Japan
Yutaka Maeda
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Science, Tohoku University, Kawauchi, Aobaku, Sendai 980, Japan
Yasunaga Furihata
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Science, Tohoku University, Kawauchi, Aobaku, Sendai 980, Japan
Yasuo Nakamaru
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Science, Tohoku University, Kawauchi, Aobaku, Sendai 980, Japan
Yohji Esashi*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Science, Tohoku University, Kawauchi, Aobaku, Sendai 980, Japan
*
* Correspondence
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Some of the seed-evolved volatiles, which were mainly composed of methanol, acetaldehyde, ethanol and acetone, caused the loss of seed germinability during storage. In general, the deleterious effects of the volatiles increased with increasing RH and temperature during storage. Acetaldehyde had the strongest deleterious effect regardless of RH and temperature, while ethanol caused seed deterioration only at high RHs. Acetone was slightly deleterious to some species, while methanol was almost inert in most seeds. Various aldehydes applied during storage showed some toxicity to seed germinability, which decreased, except for 3-methylbutanal, with increasing molecular size, suggesting that the endogenous volatile compounds with an aldehyde group cause seed deterioration. On the other hand, the contents of volatile compounds in seeds were higher when they were stored at 44% RH (water sorption zone 2), than when stored at 12% RH (water sorption zone 1). Acetaldehyde, the most deleterious volatile, was more abundantly accumulated within the seeds stored at −3.5°C than at 23°C. Based on these facts, it is suggested that endogenous volatiles, especially acetaldehyde, may be an important factor that accelerates seed deterioration which often occurs under lower RHs and/or temperatures throughout long-term storage.

Keywords

acetaldehydealdehydeethanolgerminabilityseed agingseed deteriorationseed storageseed vigourvolatile compounds
Type
Research papers
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , March 1994 , pp. 49 - 56
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Cromarty, A.S. (1990) The design of seed storage facilities for genetic conservation. Rome, International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR).Google Scholar
Coolbear, P., McGill, C.R. and Sakunnarak, N. (1991) Susceptibility of pea seeds to acetone toxicity: interactions with seed moisture content and aging treatments. Seed Science and Technology 19, 519–526.Google Scholar
Eberhart, S.A., Roos, E.E. and Towill, L.E. (1991) Strategies for long-term management of germplasm collections. pp 135–145 in Falk, D.A. and Holsinger, K.E. (Eds) Genetics and conservation of rare plants. New York, Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellis, R.H. and Roberts, E.H. (1980) Improved equations for the prediction of seed longevity. Annals of Botany 45, 13–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Esashi, Y., Zhang, M., Yoshioka, T., Sugiyama, O., Shinohara, A. and Kanizawa, T. (1993) Endogenously evolving gases during seed storage and their effects on seed longevity. pp 771–779 in Côme, D. and Corbineau, F. (Eds) Fourth international workshop on seeds: basic and applied aspects of seed biology. Paris, Pierre et Marie Curie University Press.Google Scholar
Fielding, J.L. and Goldsworthy, A. (1982) The evolution of volatiles in relation to ageing in dry wheat seed. Seed Science and Technology 10, 277–282.Google Scholar
Gundberg, C.M., Anderson, M., Dickson, I. and Gallop, P.M. (1986) ‘Glycated’ osteocalcin in human and bovine bone: the effect of age. Journal of Biological Chemistry 261, 14557–14561.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hadad, C. M., Foresman, J. B. and Wiberg, K. B. (1993) Excited states of carbonyl compounds. 1. Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Journal of Physical Chemistry 97, 4293–4312.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hailstones, M.D. and Smith, M.T. (1989) Thermally-derived volatile aldehydes in relation to seed viability in soybean seeds. Seed Science and Technology 17, 649–658.Google Scholar
Honing, D.H. and Rackis, J.J. (1975) Volatile components of maturing soybeans. Cereal Chemistry 52, 396–402.Google Scholar
Montgomery, M.W. and Day, E.A. (1965) Aldehyde-amine condensation reaction: A possible fate of carbonyls in foods. Journal of Food Science 30, 828–832.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Priestley, D.A. (1986) Loss of seed quality in storage. pp 51–57 in Priestly, D.A. (Ed.) Seed aging. New York, Ithaca, Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
Roberts, E.H. (1972) Storage environment and the control of viability. pp 14–58 in Roberts, E.H. (Ed.) Viability of seeds. London, Chapman and Hall.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suyama, K. and Adachi, S. (1986) Quaternary pyridinum salts formed by amino-carbonyl reaction and their thermal elimination reaction involving carbocation formation. Developments in Food Science 13, 95–103.Google Scholar
Tao, K.L. (1992) Genetic alteration and germplasm conservation. pp 137–149 in Fu, J. and Khan, A.A. (Eds) Advances in the science and technology of seeds. Beijing, Science Press.Google Scholar
Vertucci, C.W. and Leopold, A.C. (1984) Bound water in soybean seed and its relation to respiration and imbibitional damage. Plant Physiology 75, 114–117.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vertucci, C. W. and Roos, E.E. (1990) Theoretical basis of protocols for seed storage. Plant Physiology 94, 1019–1023.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wettlaufer, S.H. and Leopold, A.C. (1991) Relevance of Amadori and Maillard products to seed deterioration. Plant Physiology 97, 165–169.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Winston, P.W. and Bates, D.H. (1960) Saturated solutions for the control of humidity in biological research. Ecology 41, 232–237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, M., Liu, Y., Torii, I., Sasaki, H. and Esashi, Y. (1993) Evolution of volatile compounds by seeds during storage periods. Seed Science and Technology 21, 359–373.Google Scholar