Elicitation of Physiological Stress and Kaempferol Accumulation in Soybean by Sugar Treatment

Monday, July 22, 2013: 1:00 PM
Desert Salon 1-2 (Desert Springs J.W Marriott Resort )
Amber Cook , Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Demitrius Onuaguluchi , Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Jeremiah Jackson , Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Bradley Patterson , Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Lindsey Gilbert , University of Pikeville, Pikeville, KY
Shannon Combe , Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Shubha Ireland , Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Syed Muniruzzaman , Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Stephen Boue , USDA–ARS, New Orleans, LA
Harish Ratnayaka , Biology, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Soy flavonoids, such as kaempferols, are well-known anticancer phytochemicals biosynthesized especially under environmental stress.  Natural easy-to-use elicitors that can impose the right level of stress to adequately induce flavonoid accumulation in soy plants are not readily available.  Thus, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that rare sugars will impose physiological stress and increase leaf flavonoid kaempferol yields.  Two rare sugars, D- psicose and allose, and two common sugars, D- glucose and fructose were applied at 10 mM semi-hydroponically at V5 stage for seven days.  Net photosynthesis was reduced by all sugars up to a maximum of 48% by D-psicose.  Reduced stomatal conductance, rubisco carboxylation and photosystem II efficiency appear to contribute to lower photosynthesis.  Rare sugar-treated plants quenched excitation energy nonphotochemically more than control or common sugar-treated plants.  Growth of expanded and expanding leaves was reduced up to 11% and 24%, respectively, by the sugars.  Concentrations of leaf kaempferols increased under all sugar treatments up to a maximum of 40% in D- allose-treated plants.  Both natural and rare hexose sugars are promising natural elicitors of physiological stress that can induce anticancer flavonoid kaempferol synthesis in soy plants.
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