PROMOTING ACTIVITY OF TERPENIC LACTONES IN PHASEOLUS ROOTING AND THEIR REACTIVITY TOWARD CYSTEINE1

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Abstract
Sesquiterpenoids which contain exomethylenes conjugated to γ-lactone carbonyl-heliangine, helianginol, pyrethrosin and cyclopyrethrosin acetate—promoted the adventitious root formation on hypocotyls of cuttings taken from light-grown (1900 lux) 6-day old Phaseolus mungo seedlings, but their derivatives in which the methylene γ-lactone systems are reduced-to the saturated lactones—dihydroheliangine, hexahydro-heliangine, dihydrohelianginol, dihydrocyclopyrethrosin acetate and tetrahydrocyclopyrethrosin acetate—showed no effect on the root formation. As far as the present experiment is concerned, every substance which showed promoting activity in Phaseolus rooting reacted with cysteine and formed an adduct, but any of the substances incapable of promoting root formation did not react with cysteine. The correlation of promoting activity of terpenic lactones in Phaseolus rooting with their reactivity toward SH groups may thus be demonstrated.