The fermentation product of herbs by lactic acid bacteria (FHL) was assayed for antifungal activities against Rosellinia necatrix, Helicobasidium mompa, Fusarium oxysporum, Pythium graminicola and Pyricularia oryzae. FHL completely inhibited the growth of R. necatrix, H. mompa, P. graminicola and P. oryzae, and reduced the growth of F. oxysporum by 35%. When the seeds of Medicago sativa L. (alf...

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most important perennial forage crops on cultivated fields in the world. Agronomical interests for this crop are based on its numerous advantageous characteristics such as (1) high yield potential and suitable feeding value, (2) different methods of utilisation green mass, hay, silage, greenchop, briquette, pellets, etc., (3) favourable environmental i...

Amylase was found in high activity (193 international units per milligram protein) in the tap root of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. cv. Sonora). The activity was separated by gel filtration chromatography into two fractions with molecular weights of 65,700 (heavy amylase) and 41,700 (light amylase). Activity staining of electrophoretic gels indicated the presence of one isozyme in the heavy amyla...

Shoot meristem tissues of alfalfa, Medicago sativa L., were found by high performance liquid chromatography analyses to contain the uncommon polyamines, norspermidine and norspermine. The chemical structures of norspermidine and norspermine, purified from alfalfa, were confirmed by comparison of mass spectra with those from authentic standards. The discovery of norspermidine and norspermine in ...

The hypersensitve response (HR) is an expression of resistance in plants that occurs at the point of infection by a microorganism. It involves expression of a number of active defence responses and synthesis of defence related molecules. Phytoalexin synthesis is one such defence response, and its occurrence in Medicago satjva (lucerne) tissues is the subject of our present studies. Phytoalexin ...

Defoliation of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) results in a cyclic pattern of starch degradation followed by reaccumulation in taproots. Characterization of changes in anatomical distribution of starch grains in taproots will aid our understanding of biochemical and physiological mechanisms involved in starch metabolism in taproots of this species. Our objectives were to determine the influence of...