AMINO-ACID LEAKAGE FROM AGED VEGETABLE SEEDS

Amino acid leakage from leek, onion, cabbage, tomato and pepper seeds aged at 45 degrees C and 90% relative humidity was studied. Amino acid s were determined in dry seeds, seeds imbibed for 24 hours and the lea chate from imbibed seeds. As seeds aged, the amino acid content in dry seeds increased slightly for all species, while a large increase in t he percentage of amino acids from imbibed seeds leaked into the soak w ater from leek, onion and cabbage only. Tomato and pepper seeds leaked small amounts of amino acids and were not further studied. Amino acid analysis was performed by HPLC on leachate from control and non-germi nable samples of leek, onion and cabbage. The predominant amino acids found in non-germinable seed leachate were alanine (leek, onion and ca bbage), glutamic acid (leek and onion) and arginine (leek and cabbage) . In rime course studies of non-germinable samples, cabbage seeds show ed the greatest leakage rate, followed by leek, with onion being the s lowest. Differences in leakage rate between species were attributed to seed coat integrity and permeability.