Abstract
Six commercially used seaweed extracts were tested for cytokinin- and auxin-like activity using the soybean callus bioassay and the mung bean rooting bioassay respectively. All the seaweed extracts tested showed cytokinin-like activity. Seamac caused the most callus growth with activity being concentrated at R f 0.9 which co-chromatographed withiso-pentenyladenine and its riboside. The other five seaweed extracts yielded activity at R f 0.7–0.8. This co-chromatographed with zeatin and zeatin riboside. All the seaweed extracts tested improved rooting of mung beans. Kelpak made fromEcklonia maxima (Osbeck) Papenf. gave the best rooting response.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brain KR, Chalopin MC, Turner TD, Blunden G, Wildgoose PB (1973) Cytokinin activity of commercial aqueous extract. Plant Sci. Lett. 1: 241–245.
Crouch IJ, Van Staden J (1992) Identification of auxins in a commercial seaweed concentrate. J. Plant Physiol. 139: 590–594.
Crouch IJ, Van Staden J (1993) Evidence for the presence of plant growth regulators in commercial seaweed products. Plant Growth Regul. 13: 21–29.
De Nys R, Jameson PE, Chin N, Brown MT, Sanderson KJ (1990) The cytokinins as endogenous growth regulators inMacrocystis pyrifera (L.) C. Ag. (Phaeophyceae). Bot. mar. 33: 467–475.
Featonby-Smith BC, Van Staden J (1984) Identification and seasonal variation of endogenous cytokinins inEcklonia maxima (Osbeck) Papenf. Bot. mar. 27: 527–531.
Hess CE (1964) The mung bean bioassay for the detection of root promotory substances. Plant Physiol. (Suppl.) 36: XXI.
Kingman AR, Moore J (1982) Isolation, purification and quantitation of several growth regulating substances inAscophyllum nodosum (Phaeophyta). Bot. mar. 25: 149–153.
Letham DS (1978) Cytokinins. In: Letham DS, Goodwin PB, Higgins TJV (eds), Phytohormones and Related Compounds. A Comprehensive Treatise Vol. 1. Elsevier Biomedical Press, Amsterdam: 205–263.
Miller CO (1965) Evidence for the natural occurrence of zeatin and derivatives: Compounds from maize which promote cell division. Proc. natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 54: 1052–1058.
Mooney PA, Van Staden J (1984) Seasonal changes in the levels of endogenous cytokinins inSargassum heterophyllum (Phaeophyceae). Bot. mar 27: 437–442.
Mooney PA, Van Staden J (1986) Algae and cytokinins. J. Plant Physiol. 123: 1–21.
Sanderson KJ, Jameson PE (1986) The cytokinins in a liquid seaweed extract: Could they be active ingredients? Acta Horticulturae 179: 113–116.
Sanderson KJ, Jameson PE, Zabkiewicz JA (1987) Auxin in a seaweed extract: Identification and quantitation of indole-3-acetic acid by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. J. Plant Physiol. 129: 363–367.
Tay SAB, MacLeod JK, Palni LMS, Letham DS (1985) Detection of cytokinins in a seaweed extract. Phytochemistry 24: 2611–2614.
Tay SAB, Palni LMS, MacLeod JK (1987) Identification of cytokinin glucosides in a seaweed extract. J. Plant Growth Regul. 5: 133–138.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stirk, W.A., Van Staden, J. Comparison of cytokinin- and auxin-like activity in some commercially used seaweed extracts. J Appl Phycol 8, 503–508 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02186328
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02186328