CHANGES IN FRUCTOPOLYSACCHARIDE AND SIMPLE SUGARS IN ASPARAGUS DURING SPEAR GROWTH¹

Asparagus roots contain complex fructopolysaccharides that are hydrolyzed and transported to shoot buds for growth.
The nature of these polysaccharides has been recently documented (Shiomi, 1993). Pressman (1993) reported a decrease in the degree of polymerization of oligosaccharides found in asparagus storage roots during the harvest period but did not provide details of changes in individual oligosaccharides.

Asparagus officinalis cv. ‘Jersey Giant’ asparagus plants were grown in a greenhouse from seed for four months.
The mature fern was removed, and shoots and roots were harvested weekly for 5 weeks for carbohydrate analysis.
Specific changes in storage root carbohydrates of young asparagus plants were measured during spear growth.
There was no change in root oligosaccharide amount one week after removal of mature fern even though new spear growth had begun.
The amount of oligosaccharides (DP3-DP17) decreased significantly after the first week and then leveled off.
Fructose and sucrose increased after cutting the mature fern, decreased during a moisture stress, and then returned to previous levels.
Glucose decreased throughout the harvest period and became near zero by week 4.

The oligosaccharides in storage roots of asparagus appear to be hydrolyzed at similar rates judged by their disappearance.
An exception to this was DP4, which did not decrease during the harvest period until the final harvest.

VIII International Asparagus Symposium

Bill B. Dean, E. M. Skrzeczkowska

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1996.415.27