Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > AN > EA05284
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 46(12)

Effect of defoliation stress on 2-hydroxy cinnamic acid content at different growth stages in Melilotus albus

R. M. Nair A E , A. Whittall B , D. K. Revell B C , K. Dowling D , S. Hughes A , A. D. Craig A and G. C. Auricht A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A South Australian Research & Development Institute (SARDI), GPO Box 397, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.

B School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia.

C CSIRO Livestock Industries, Private Bag 5, Wembley, WA 6913, Australia.

D Biometrics SA, The University of Adelaide/SARDI, GPO Box 397, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.

E Corresponding author. Email: madhavannair.ram@saugov.sa.gov.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46(12) 1601-1603 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA05284
Submitted: 20 October 2005  Accepted: 2 April 2006   Published: 10 November 2006

Abstract

Melilotus albus (Medik.) is a pasture legume with potential value in Australian farming systems, especially in salt-affected areas. However, the use of this species has been limited because of concerns over high coumarin concentrations. The aim of this trial was to determine the effect of defoliation on the concentration of 2-hydroxy cinnamic acid, a coumarin precursor, at 3 stages of growth (vegetative, flowering and post-flowering) in 6 accessions. The concentration of 2-hydroxy cinnamic acid was determined by high performance liquid chromatography in leaves of plants grown in a glasshouse. Defoliation stress increased the 2-hydroxy cinnamic acid content in the leaves of all accessions studied by about 8%, from 0.89 to 0.96% of dry matter. The 2-hydroxy cinnamic acid concentrations were not significantly different between vegetative and flowering stages in any of the accessions studied, but showed a significant increase post-flowering for 4 out of the 6 accessions studied. This study indicates that grazing may increase the coumarin or 2-hydroxy cinnamic acid concentration in Melilotus albus, but in screening for suitable accessions to progress to new cultivars, it is not necessary to subject plants to a defoliation stress to rank the accessions for 2-hydroxy cinnamic acid or coumarin concentration.


Acknowledgments

Steve Robinson for technical assistance, Ross Ballard for the freeze dryer facility. Funding for this work was provided by Australian wool producers and the Australian Government through Australian Wool Innovation Ltd (AWI).


References


Edwards KG, Stoker JR (1967) Biosynthesis of coumarin: The isomerisation stage. Phytochemistry 6, 655–661.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Evans PM, Kearney GA (2003) Melilotus albus (Medik.) is productive and regenerates well on saline soils of neutral to alkaline reaction in the high rainfall zone of south-western Victoria. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43, 349–355.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Goplen BP, Greenshields JER, Baenziger H (1957) The inheritance of coumarin in sweet clover. Canadian Journal of Botany 35, 583–593.. open url image1

Gorz HJ, Haskins FA (1969) Absence of dominance of the Cu gene in influencing o-hydroxycinnamic acid content in Melilotus alba. Crop Science 9, 79–81. open url image1

Haskins FA, Gorz HJ (1970) Rapid detection of o-hydroxycinnanmic acid and bete-glucosidase in Melilotus alba. Crop Science 10, 479–481. open url image1

Jeanes JA (1996) Fabaceae, Melilotus. In ‘Flora of Victoria Vol. 3’. (Eds NG Walsh, TJ Entwisle) pp. 719–721. (Inkata Press: Melbourne)

Kleinhofs A, Haskins FA, Gorz HJ (1966) Relationships of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity to o-hydroxcinnamic acid content in Melilotus alba. Plant Physiology 41, 1276–1279.
| PubMed |
open url image1

Murray RDH, Mendez J, Brown SA (1982) ‘The natural coumarins. Occurrence, chemistry and biochemistry.’ (John Wiley and Sons: Chichester)

Olsen MM, Roseland CR (1991) Induction of the coumarins scopoletin and ayapin in sunflower by insect feeding stress and effects of coumarins on the feeding of sunflower beetle (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae). Environmental Entomology 20, 1166–1172. open url image1

Patterson HD, Thompson R (1971) Recovery of interblock information when block sizes are unequal. Biometrika 58, 545–554.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Poulton JE, McRee DE, Conn EE (1980) Intracellular localisation of two enzymes involved in coumarin biosynthesis in Melilotus alba. Plant Physiology 65, 171–175.
| PubMed |
open url image1

Smith WK (1964) Denta sweetclover. Crop Science 4, 666–667. open url image1

Smith WK, Gorz HJ (1965) Sweetclover improvement. Advances in Agronomy 17, 163–231. open url image1

Stahmann MA, Huebner CF, Link KP (1941) Studies on hemorrhagic sweetclover disease. V. Identification and synthesis of the hemorrhagic agent. Journal of Biological Chemistry 138, 513–527. open url image1

Tal B, Robeson DJ (1986) The metabolism of sunflower phytoalexins ayapin and scopoletin – plant-fungus interactions. Plant Physiology 82, 167–172.
| PubMed |
open url image1

Wang SF, Ridsdill-Smith TJ, Ghisalberti EL (2005) Chemical defenses of Trifolium glanduliferum against redlegged earth mite Halotydeus destructor. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 53, 6240–6245.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1