Some Interactions of Gibberellic Acid with Naringenin (5,7, 4′-trihydroxy flavanone) in the Control of Dormancy and Growth in Plants

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The possibility that dormancy and growth are at least partly controlled by an interaction between endogenous gibberellin and inhibitor was investigated. Antagonistic effects of two naturally occurring inhibitors (coumarin and naringenin) upon dormancy-breaking or growth-stimulation by gibberellic acid (GA3) was demonstrated. Naringenin, which occurs in dormant peach buds, was found competitively to antagonize GAS in the latter compound's effect of breaking peachbud dormancy. Naringenin was found to induce a light-requirement for the germination of ‘Great Lakes’ lettuce seed, which effect could be reversed by the addition of GA3, the extent of the reversal being a function of the relative concentrations of the two compounds. Interaction between GA3 and either coumarin or naringenin in non-dormant tissue (lettuce hypocotyl growth assay) was found to be non-competitive. An analogy is drawn between the known oestrogenic and other physiological activities of flavonoids, and the growth-effects of naringenin and hydrangenol.