Effect of Bioactive Substances on Seeds Germination

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to observe the effects of bio-polymers on seeds germination. In addition, anti-oxidant effects of extracellular substances expressed during the seeds germination were investigated using 2.2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)radical assay. First, we observed cockscome seeds germination on the solid medium containing bio-macromolecules such as alginate, cyclodextrin and medium molecular weight chitosans (MMWCs), including mugwort extract. Germination rate of cockscome seeds was determined to define a potential inducer involved in the process of the germination. On the other hand,germination rate of cockcome seeds in the hydroponics soilless medium that consist high molecular weight chitosan (CTSN),MMWC-S, alginate, and fucoidan was also determined. Among MMWC-S showed the significant germination rate (30% up)compared to other tested materials. Subsequently, the most significant anti-oxidant effects were observed from the culture supernatant of germinated seeds of the media that contains 0.5% sodium alginate. Further study to identify the specific molecule(s)involved in both seed germination and anti-oxidant effect will be discussed in separate paper.