BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES ACCOMPANYING THE SENESCENCE OF ORCHID FLOWERS

Abstract

The quantitative and qualitative changes of peroxidase and acid phosphatase in extracts from flowers of Arundina grarninifolia at 4 different stages, namely 1, 2, 4 and 6 days after opening from buds, were studied. No significant changes in the activities were found in the floral extracts during the first 4 days, but activities increased very rapidly there after. The pattern of aoid phosphatase a.ctivi ties was found closely correlated with the loss of phosphorus content in the perianth. Electrophoretic separation of these two enzymes on polyacrylamide gel were made. Four anodic isozyme bands of aoid phosphatase were obtained throughout the 4 developmental stages. However, the number of a.nodio bands of peroxidase varied as the flowers aged, Up to the stage of 4 days old, 5 isozyme bands were obtained, An additional isozyme band was developed in the 6 day old flowers. In both enzymes, however, the relative positions of some isozymes were different among developmental stages.