Effects of hypoxia on cut carnation flowers ( Dianthus caryophyllus L.): longevity, ability to survive under anoxia, and activities of alcohol dehydrogenase and pyruvate kinase

• Published in: Postharvest biology and technology Vol. 7; no. 4; pp. 317 - 329
• Main Authors: Chen, Xiuhua, Solomos, Theophanes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.03.1996
• Subjects: ADH; ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE; ALCOHOL DESHIDROGENASA; ALCOOL DESHYDROGENASE; ALMACENAMIENTO EN ATMOSF CONTROL; ANOXIA; ANOXIE; CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE STORAGE; CUT FLOWERS; DIANTHUS CARYOPHYLLUS; ETHYLENE; ETILENO; FLEUR COUPEE; FLOR CORTADA; Hypoxia; ISOENZIMAS; ISOENZYME; ISOENZYMES; PIRUVATO QUINASA; PK; PYRUVATE KINASE; Respiration; STOCKAGE EN ATMOSPHERE CONTROLEE; polyvinylpolypyrrodoline; Anoxia; dithiothreitol; PVPP; Pyruvate kinase; Isoenzymes; ADH; DTT; Ethylene; silver thiosulphate; Alcohol dehydrogenase; phenylmethysulfonyl floride; PEG; STS; poly(ethylene glycol); PMSF; Hypoxia; PK; Respiration
• ISSN: 0925-5214; 1873-2356
• DOI: 10.1016/0925-5214(95)00044-5

Carnation flowers ( Dianthus caryophyllus L.) were kept at 18 °C in the dark, either in air, or 1.22 or 2.74 kPa O 2. Hypoxia induced an increase and decline in the extractable activities of ADH and PK, respectively. Neither of the levels of O 2 increased the rate of ethanol evolution. Upon transferring the flowers to anoxia, there was an increase in ADH activity in all treatments, but flowers pretreated with hypoxia maintained a higher level of activity than did the normoxic ones. The rate of ethanol evolution under anoxia was inversely related to the pretreatment concentrations of O 2. The activity of PK decreased under anoxia in all treatments. Hypoxic pretreatments enhanced the viability of flowers in anoxia. The increase in ADH activity in flower petals kept under 1.22 kPa O 2 was due to the increase in the Adh1 isoform. The same O 2 concentration decreased the rate of CO 2 evolution by about 30% below the preclimacteric minimum of the controls. Furthermore, it completely suppressed the rise in C 2H 4 evolution and prolonged the vase-life of the flowers to 53 days, i.e. about 7.5-fold more than that of the air samples.