WOUND-INDUCED FATTY ACIDS CONTENT IN SCALES OF HIPPEASTRUM X HYBR. HORT.

It was recently showed that the reddish coloured basal plate and scales of Hippeastrum after mechanical wounding totally inhibited the tissue infection by Stagonospora curtisii (Saniewska 1992). Resistance mechanism of wounded Hippeastrum tissues, after reddish colouration, against S. curtisii is unknown.

Among the defensive factors that are synthesized in response to either wounding or pathogen attacks is lipoxygenase which catalyzes dioxygenation linoleic and linolenic acids in plants.
Certain lipoxygenase pathway products have antifungal properties.

The aim of the present work was to study the effect of Hippeastrum scales slicing on the content of free and bound fatty acids.
The main free and bound fatty acids of scale tissues of Hippeastrum, in decreasing order of abundance, were oleic, palmitic, linoleic, stearic and linolenic acids.
The content of free and bound linoleic and linolenic acids gradually increased during 4 days of aging.
The content of free oleic, palmitic and stearic acids did not change but the level of bound stearic and palmitic acids increased and the level of bound oleic acid decreased during 4 days of aging.
These findings are discussed in relation to possible mechanism of resistance of wounded tissues against Stagonospora curtisii infection.

VI International Symposium on Flower Bulbs

M. Saniewski, M. Horbowicz, J. Czapski

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1992.325.39