Plant growth-promoting oligosaccharides produced from tomato waste

Tomato juice waste was hydrolyzed with acid. Tomato juice waste (500 g, wet weight) was heated with 0.5 N HCl (2.51) at 70 degreesC for 4 h. After neu tralization., the growth-promoting extracts (300 g; dry weight) in the plan ts were produced from the tomato waste. The acid extract significantly prom oted the growth of cockscomb (Celosia argentea L.) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) seedlings. We have recognized potent plant growth-pro mo ti ng substances in the acid extract from tomato waste. The most effective com ponents in the active fraction were almost all oligogalacturonic acids (DP 6-12). This paper is the first report that plant growth-promoting oligosacc harides can be directly produced from tomato juice waste. It is possible th at the substances from the tomato waste can become useful plant growth regu lators in the agriculture field in the future. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Lt d. All rights reserved.