Abstract
Tryptophan (TRP) is a metabolite from which several important metabolic syntheses arise in plants, animals, and humans. In bacteria and fungi, it is a precursor of Indole Acetic acid (IAA) using various metabolic pathways. The objective of this study is the detection of intermediate metabolites in the synthesis of IAA in seeds of several species in the germination process. In the study, seeds of plant species grown in deionized water were placed in order to stimulate germination and samples were taken every 24 hours. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for the detection of the compounds. The results show that the pH of the medium is altered and there is no pattern of behavior. Regarding the detected compounds, in addition to TRP, there is indole-3-acetamide (IAM), 3-indoleacetonitrile (IAN), tryptamine (TRM), which are part of the TRP-dependent routes, since they use this amino acid as a precursor. Anthranilic acid (AA) and kynurenine (KYN), which are part of the Independent TRP pathway, were also detected. IAA and TRP were also detected during the germination process of the studied seeds (Sorghum bicolor, T aesativum, Zea mayz, Phaseolus vulgaris, G. hirsutum, Cucurbita maxima). Finally, it was observed that the seeds, due to weight loss, suffer physical wear during the germination process, since there is a difference between the initial dry weight and the weight of the seeds at the end of the study.