Distribution Dynamics and Roles of Starch in Non-photosynthetic Vegetative Organs of Santalum album Linn., a Hemiparasitic Tree

Allocation dynamics of stored starch plays essential roles in the development and growth of trees. Previous studies focused on the dynamics and the characteristics of starch in autotrophic trees. However, although starch granules have been detected in the organs or tissues of some parasitic plants, studies on the allocation dynamics and roles of storage starch in them are limited. Therefore, we determined and estimated the allocation dynamics and roles of starch in Santalum album Linn., a hemiparasitic tree, using morphological and physiological methods. Our findings showed abundant starch in the stem and root of S. album at the early seedling stage. Although S. album seedlings attached to the host showed no significant changes in starch levels throughout the experiment, unattached and host-removed seedlings exhibited a gradual decrease in the starch content over time. When the starch content of unattached seedlings was less than 1%, they started to die. Starch accumulated to high levels in developing and active haustoria; however, starch levels were low in the inactive haustoria. The present study suggests that starch may provide energy to seedlings that have no host, allowing them to survive during the unattached phase, thus increasing their chance to attach to host roots by extending their survival duration. In addition, we speculate that storage starch is potentially involved in the development of haustoria and in the physiological processes of S. album related to the absorption and transportation of water and nutrients from its host.

Ethylene regulates post-germination seedling growth in wheat through spatial and temporal modulation of ABA/GA balance

This study aimed to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of ethylene in regulating germination and seedling growth in wheat by combining pharmacological, molecular, and metabolomics approaches. Our study showed that ethylene does not affect radicle protrusion but controls post-germination endospermic starch degradation through transcriptional regulation of specific α-amylase and α-glucosidase genes, and this effect is mediated by alteration of endospermic bioactive gibberellin (GA) levels, and GA sensitivity via expression of the GA signaling gene, TaGAMYB. Our data implicated ethylene as a positive regulator of embryo axis and coleoptile growth through transcriptional regulation of specific TaEXPA genes. These effects were associated with modulation of GA levels and sensitivity, through expression of GA metabolism (TaGA20ox1, TaGA3ox2, and TaGA2ox6) and signaling (TaGAMYB) genes, respectively, and/or the abscisic acid (ABA) level and sensitivity, via expression of specific ABA metabolism (TaNCED2 or TaCYP707A1) and signaling (TaABI3) genes, respectively. Ethylene appeared to regulate the expression of TaEXPA3 and thereby root growth through its control of coleoptile ABA metabolism, and root ABA signaling via expression of TaABI3 and TaABI5. These results show that spatiotemporal modulation of ABA/GA balance mediates the role of ethylene in regulating post-germination storage starch degradation and seedling growth in wheat.

Processing Technology of Ketupat

Indonesia has a typical rice processing method as part of the nation’s culture, namely ketupat. Ketupat is typical food made of rice wrapped in diamond shaped-woven coconut leaves and boiled in water. This article reviewed the variety of processing ketupat as well as changes in ketupat during storage of ketupat according to the results of research and related references. Traditionally, ketupat is cooked in boiling water for 5 hours. This is considered inefficient in terms of cooking fuel and time required for cooking. The efforts of modifying ketupat cooking method have been done to shorten processing time, such as cooking ketupat in pressure cooker for 30 minutes. The development of ready-to-cook ketupat or quick-cooking product in attractive package becomes a promising opportunity. Quick-cooking ketupat was made by immersing ketupat in salt, steaming, freezing and drying. The package of quick-cooking ketupat was designed using HDPE plastics made square shape that requires boiling period for 30 minutes. Ingredients and the amount of rice, the size of coconut leaves, immersion process and cooking technic affected the texture of ketupat produced. Ketupat is normally stored for 2 days in room temperature and 4-7 day if it is refrigerated. Spoilage of ketupat is due to microbiological and physical changes during storage. Starch retrogradation and increase in RS III may occur when ketupat is stored at low temperature.

Rape embryogenesis. IV. Appearance and disappearance of starch during embryo development

Starch appears first in the suspensor of the proembryo with two-cell apical part. It is observed in the embryo proper from the octant stage. At first it is visible in all the embryo cells in the form of minute transient grains which disappear during cell divisions. But the columella mother cells and their derivatives have persistent large grains. When the embryo turns green in the heart stage a gradual accumulation of storage starch begins and lasts to the end of embryogenesis. Storage starch grains appear first in the auter cortex layers of the hypocotyl where the largest grains are to be found later, and afterwards in all the other tissues. Starch is usually absent in the frequently dividing cells, but even there it appears in the form of minute grains after the end of cell divisions. Disappearance of starch starts when the intensive green colour of the seed coat begins to fade. The first to disappear are the smallest granules in the regions where they were noted latest. In the embryo axis the starch grains remain deposited longest in dermatogen and cortex cells in the lower hypocotyl part. They are visible there, still when the seed turns brown. In black seeds starch may be only found in the columella the cells of which throughout embryogenesis contain amyloplasts filled with starch. These grains disappear completely at the time when the seeds become dry.