Biochemical contents, their variation and changes in free amino acids during seed germination in Terminalia arjuna

Abstract

The leaves, twigs, stem and bark of T. arjuna were analysed for their protein, phenol, tannin, nitrate, oxalate in addition to vitamin C, anthocyanin and chlorophyll in the leaves. The variation of some of these parameters in the leaves with season and leaf position was also studied. The time course changes in amino acids and protein during seed germination in T. arjuna, showed initial decrease in protein followed by increase at subsequent stages. The seeds contain high level of serine (21.7%) and glutamic acid (22.6%) the later decreased as the germination progressed. After 30 days seeds showed higher amounts of serine (26.0%), valine (2.8%), proline (10.6%), methionine (3.4%), histidine (5.6%) and lysine (7.4%) while threonine, glutamic acid, tyrosine and arginine were in lower amounts than that of initial stage at 0 day.