Journal of Plant Physiology 2011-11-15

Novel vitamin E forms in leaves of Kalanchoe daigremontiana and Phaseolus coccineus.

Jerzy Kruk, Adam Pisarski, Renata Szymańska

Index: J. Plant Physiol. 168(17) , 2021 -7, (2011)

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Abstract

In the present study, we isolated novel tocochromanols from green leaves of Kalanchoe daigremontiana and primary leaves of etiolated seedlings of Phaseolus coccineus that were identified as β-, γ-, and δ-tocomonoenols with unsaturation at the terminal isoprene unit of the side chain. The content of γ-tocomonoenol in leaves of etiolated bean increased gradually with the age of seedlings, reaching 50% of the γ-tocopherol level in 40-day-old plants. The content of this compound in leaves was increased by short illumination of etiolated plants and by addition of homogentisic acid, a biosynthetic precursor of tocopherols. These data indicated that γ-tocomonoenol is synthesized de novo from homogentisic acid and tetrahydro-geranylgeraniol diphosphate, a phytol precursor. Based on these results, a biosynthetic pathway of tocomonoenols is proposed.Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.