INHIBITORY EFFECT OF S-CARVONE ON WOUND-HEALING OF POTATO-TUBER TISSUE

Wounded tuber tissue of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Gloria) expos ed to the monoterpene S-carvone did show neither suberization nor camb ium layer formation, whereas these processes started after 2-4 days in control tissue. Suberized tissue was clearly visible 24 days after th e start of the S-carvone treatment, when the concentrations of S-carvo ne and its bioconversion products in the tissue were almost zero and c ambium layer formation had not yet started. The inhibition of wound he aling coincided with a lack of induction of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR, EC 1.1.1.34). The wounded potato tissue u sed as control, showed a transient induction of HMGR activity. In S-ca rvone treated tissue, the activities of GR (glutathione reductase, EC 1.6.4.2) and AP (ascorbate peroxidase, EC 1.11.1.11) were induced, and the level of glutathione increased four- to five-fold.