THE METABOLISM OF AGING SEEDS - CHANGES IN THE RAFFINOSE FAMILY OLIGOSACCHARIDES DURING STORAGE OF FIELD BEAN (VICIA-FABA VAR. MINOR HARZ) SEEDS

Seeds of field bean cv. Nadwislanski harvested in 1980, 1986 and 1992 were studied. Results of investigations showed that the four analysed sugars (saccharose, verbascose, raffinose and stachyose) made up from 60.1 mg of 1 g dry matter of seeds harvested in 1992 to 67 mg of seeds collected in 1986. After three years of storage in laboratory conditi ons we observed a decline of the amount of these oligosaccharides. The saccharose:raffinose family oligosaccharides ratio grows with the see d age.