Japanese radish seed germination

We now report crab shell chitosan and its derivatives can have a novel function as an activator of plant cells in (a) the callus formation of cabbage leaves, (b) the germination of soybean and Japanese radish seeds, and (c) the field cultivation of Japanese radish seeds. In addition, we will discuss a possible function of plant chitinase and chito-sanase in connection with the wide distribution of these enzymes in plants. 

Coating Procedures for the Seeds. Each sample (60 g) of soybean and Japanese radish seeds was gently stirred in 10-15 mL aqueous 1% lactic acid for chitosan (0.1 g) or in distilled water for low molecular weight chitosan and chitosan oligosaccharides (0.1 g). The seeds were air-dried and used in the present study. A portion (30 or 100 grains) of the seeds was placed on an absorbent cotton sheet, wetted with distilled water, in a Petri dish (9 cm diameter), and was allowed to germinate in the dark at 25 C. 

B. In the Germination of Soybean and Japanese Radish Seeds. Chitinase and chitosanase activities increase in the course of the natural germination of the uncoated soybean seeds (Figure 4). The maximum activities... 

Figure 5. Induction of chitinase activity in the germination of Japanese radish seeds (each 100 g) coated with a thin membrane of chitosan and its derivatives. Chitinase activity uncoated (control) coated... 

N. Yoshida, Fructosyl amino acid kinase germinating seeds of Japanese radish and use for assaying Amadori compounds, Jpn. Pat. AppL, (2005) JP... 

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