Biochemical changes in seeds of Cicer arietinum, L. during germination

Abstract

Biochemical Changes in Seeds of Cicer arietinum, L. During Germi­ nation. Rev. esp. Fisiol., 30. 21-26. 1974.

The changes of various chemical components, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nu­ cleic acids, soluble sugars, total nitrogen, ninhydrin positive materials and phenols in the cotyledons and embryo of Cicer arietium, L. seeds have been determined over a 3-day germination period. Extensive loss of carbohydrates and proteins in the cotyle­ dons concomitant with an increase of these major components in the embryo, and soluble sugars and ninhydrin positive materials both in embryo and cotyledons ocurred.

Lipids, DNA and total nitrogen remained relatively constant throughout the exper­ imental period. Increase in RNA during the first 12 h. is followed by a fall, while embryo RNA increased. Phenols also experimented significative changes.