Root-Differentiating Properties of Some Simple Aromatic Substances of the Apple and Pear Fruit

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Abstract
The root-differentiating properties of alkaline, oxidized solutions of some simple aromatic compounds, including mono- and polyphenols found in the acid-hydrolysed extracts of apple and pear, exceeded in many instances the promoting qualities of other substances previously reported as weak auxins and rooting hormones. Enhanced growth regulation was associated with products of the oxidation of p-coumaric, phloretic, caffeic, protocatechuic and gentisic acids and quinol and other phenols, as effected by a preparation of mushroom tyrosinase or by aeration. Vicinal di-and tri-hydroxylation and para-dihydroxylation in substrates were effective molecular arrangements for the production of root-promoting compounds, but methoxylation, which blocked oxidation, also nullified root promotion.