PAPER CHROMATOGRAPHY OF SUGARS IN PLANTS

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Abstract
A chromatographic method for the qualitative and rough quantitative estimation of sugars and soluble phosphates in plants is described. Using this method, representatives of 27 families of Spermatophyta and 10 representatives of Algae have been examined. In Spermatophyta the total sugar content was found to be fairly high, with sucrose usually the main sugar, and glucose predominating over fructose. In Chlorophyta, the concentration and the nature of the sugars present were fairly similar to those in Spermatophyta. In Phaeo-phyta, Rhodophyta, and a diatom Nitzschia, the soluble sugar content was very low, with glucose usually being the main sugar. The distribution of sugars in aquatic Spermatophyta was similar to that of terrestrial Spermatophyta rather than that of Algae. When wheat leaves were detached and placed on water in darkness, subsequent metabolism of their sugars was found to be markedly affected by the conditions of illumination prior to leaf detachment. On illumination, detached wheat leaves accumulated large amounts of alcohol soluble fructosans, while attached leaves did not. In detached wheat leaves during prolonged starvation, soluble phosphates, both organic and inorganic began to accumulate after two days, indicating breakdown of some insoluble forms of phosphorus. By this time free sugars had completely disappeared, though sucrose reappeared in relatively large amounts on the third day and then declined again.