ACCUMULATION OF PHENYLPROPANOIDS IN COTYLEDONS OF MORNING GLORY (PHARBITIS-NIL) SEEDLINGS DURING THE INDUCTION OF FLOWERING BY POOR NUTRITION

Flowering of Pharbitis nil strain Violet is induced in continuous ligh t under poor nutritional conditions. High-performance liquid chromatog raphy of extracts of the cotyledons revealed that two compounds in add ition to chlorogenic acid accumulate under such conditions. The compou nds were identified as pinoresinol glucoside and p-coumaroylquinic aci d. The endogenous levels of these phenylpropanoids were correlated wit h the flowering response when nutrition was poor. However, activation of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis seemed not to be essential for the ind uction of flowering.