IDENTIFICATION OF PINITOL AS A MAIN SUGAR CONSTITUENT AND CHANGES IN ITS CONTENT DURING FLOWER BUD DEVELOPMENT IN CARNATION (DIANTHUS-CARYOPHYLLUS L.)

An unknown sugar-like compound other than glucose, fructose, sucrose a nd mya-inositol was detected in the ethanol extract of carnation (Dian thus caryophyllus L.) leaves and isolated using high performance liqui d chromatography. The isolated compound was identified as D-(+)-chiro- inositol monomethylether (pinitol) by H-1-NMR and C-13-NMR spectra. Pi nitol was the most abundant sugar in the leaf and also was present in st em, petal and the remaining part of flower in large amounts in 4 cu ltivars tested. In petals, the pinitol content remained constant durin g flower bud development on a fresh weight basis, but the organ pinito l content increased markedly. The pinitol content was also high in the other parts of the flower. These findings suggest that pinitol, a maj or sugar constituent, contributes to the bud growth and subsequent pet al opening in the carnation together with other metabolic sugars, such as glucose and sucrose.