Falcarindiol carrots

Myristicin has not been reported to possess antifungal activity, and therefore is not a phytoalexin according to the standard interpretation of this term (1 ). It does, however, potentiate the activity of the insecticide, paraoxon, in flies by inhibiting its degradation (2), and may in similar manner potentiate the action of phytoalexins of carrot root (falcarinol, falcarindiol,... 

In the following experiments carrot roots were exposed to various sources of ultraviolet light in the laboratory and set aside to allow time for enzyme synthesis. Following this period, changes in myristicin and phytoalexin levels were measured. All of these components of carrot root are measured in one assay. Myristicin and 6-methoxymellein concentrations increased in some samples after irradiation with ultraviolet light falcarinol and falcarindiol concentration changes did not appear to be related to the ultraviolet light used in this study. 

A four-year study of field-grown commercial carrot roots revealed that recently harvested, unprocessed carrot roots contained 24 ppm falcarinol and 65 ppm falcarindiol (8). 6-Methoxymellein (6-MM) had not been identified by Yates al (8) at that time, and was not measured in that study. Reexamination of data revealed that 6-MM was absent from most samples, but present in a few at concentrations of 2 to 8 ppm. Myristicin, 1 ppm, was detected in only one sample. Wulf et 1978, reported that myristicin was present in supermarket carrots. Other studies have shown that certain brands of supermarket carrots contain myristicin while others do not (Yates, unpub.). The presence of myristicin in some samples from the supermarket and its absence in unprocessed carrots analyzed as soon after harvest as possible suggests that myristicin formation is induced during some stage of processing. Since light is known to be an elicitor of a plant system that results in the synthesis of phenylpropanoid compounds, a study of the effect of light on harvested carrot roots was undertaken. 

Falcarinol and falcarindiol concentration changes are small compared to those in myristicin and 6-MM content, and do not appear related to radiation (Table II). These polyacetylenes are present in fresh carrots. Immediately upon wounding, they are translocated to the surface through oil ducts (3 ) > and, therefore, their function as phytoalexins apparently does not depend upon novo synthesis. 

Yates, S. G., and R. E. England. Isolation and analysis of carrot constituents myristicin, falcarinol, and falcarindiol. J Agr Food Chem 1982 30(2) 317-320. 

Analysis of Carrot Constituents Myristicin, Falcarinol, and Falcarindiol... 

Falcarinol, falcarindiol, and myristicin contents of carrots, Daucus carota L., were determined by a sequence of dichloromethane extraction, column chromatographic purification, and gas-liquid chromatographic analysis. High Color 9, Long Imperator 58, Danvers 126, and Spartan Bonus varieties were grown in Wisconsin (1979-1982), Florida (1980-1982), California (1980-1982), Arizona... 

The standard error of a mean based on 2 samples (4 carrots per sample), 2 aliquots per sample, and 2 runs per sample, or 8 observations, was 2.8 for falcarinol and 4.8 for falcarindiol. For single observations, the respective standard deviations were 15.2 and 24.8. About 70% of the variation for falcarinol was associated with sample, but only about 25% for falcarindiol. For falcarindiol, variation associated with the assay differences contributed most of the variation. Precision for both toxicants... 

Table I. ummary of Means of Falcarinol and Falcarindiol for Thirteen Carrot Varieties-...

A mixture of volatiles from carrot Daucus carota, Apiaceae) is responsible for oviposition by females of the carrot fly Psila rosae). Among these are the phenylpropanoids. E-methyleugenol, -asarone, a prenylated coumarin, osthol (31), bergapten (18), xanthotoxin (19), and an acetylenic compound, falcarindiol (Harbome, 1986). No single component of the mixture is responsible for the behavior of the fly. 

More than 700 polyacetylene compounds have been characterized from plants, which are mainly prominent in the Asteraceae, Apiaceae and Campanulaceae including many medicinal plants from various parts of the world (Hudson 1989). Food plants of the Apiaceae plant family such as carrots, celery, parsley, fennel and parsnip contain a group of bioactive aliphatic C17-polyacetylenes including falcarinol, falcarindiol, panaxydiol, and polyacetylene 8-0-methylfalcarindiol (Zidom et al. 2005 Christensen and Brandt 2006). 

Schmiech L., Alayrac C., Witulski B., Hofinann T. Structure determination of bisacetylenic oxylipins in carrots (Daucus carota L.) and enantioselective synthesis of falcarindiol. Journal of Agricultural and... 

D. carota ssp. commutatus) were also investigated regarding the accumulation of polyacetylenes. Raman spectra prove that mainly falcarindiol is present in the individual wild species. Recently, differences in the Raman spectra of two wild carrot species have been described in more detail D. carota ssp. gummifer, D. carota ssp. maximus) [17]. Furthermore, Raman mapping clearly presented the different distribution of polyacetylenes in wild and orange carrots. It could be shown that the whole phloem tissue was rich in polyacetylenes, but the maxima were also observed near the pericyclic parenchyma. An analogous distribution of polyacetylenes was found in roots of other carrot wild species. 

In recent studies, Roman et al. showed that the distribution of polyacetylenes within the phloem tissue is not uniform and areas with high amounts of these compounds may also occur occasionally [17]. In addition, the authors could not find higher concentration of polyacetylenes close to the periderm. Significant amounts of falcarindiol detected in wild carrot species are related to their resistance to some plant diseases such as root knot nematodes. Raman mapping was also used to assess the distribution of lignin and polysaccharide substances in carrot tissues. Based on the results obtained, the individual accumulation of starch and cell wall components such as lignin, pectin, and cellulose could be successfully demonstrated. 

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