Trigonelline concentrations in salt stressed leaves of cultivated Glycine max

Concentration of trigonelline (nicotinic acid betaine) and relative water c ontent were determined in nonstressed and salt stressed leaves of 30-day ol d seedlings of Glycine max among 17 cultivars representing eight maturity g roups. Soybean seedlings were treated with NaCl in a step wise manner over 9 days (3 days 30 mM, 3 days 70 mM, and 3 days 100 mM). Trigonelline concen trations ranged from 63.8 to 162.4 mu g g DW-1 in nonstressed leaf tissue a nd from 75.4 to 218.7 mu g g DW-1 in salt stressed leaf tissue. During salt treatment, trigonelline concentrations increased in 10 cultivars, declined in five cultivars and remained unchanged in two cultivars. Trigonelline co ncentration was not significantly correlated with maturity group. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.