title: Relationship between cyanogenic compounds in kernels, leaves, and roots of sweet and bitter kernelled almonds.
abstract: The relationship between the levels of cyanogenic compounds (amygdalin and prunasin) in kernels, leaves, and roots of 5 sweet-, 5 slightly bitter-, and 5 bitter-kernelled almond trees was determined. Variability was observed among the genotypes for these compounds. Prunasin was found only in the vegetative part (roots and leaves) for all genotypes tested. Amygdalin was detected only in the kernels, mainly in bitter genotypes. In general, bitter-kernelled genotypes had higher levels of prunasin in their roots than nonbitter ones, but the correlation between cyanogenic compounds in the different parts of plants was not high. While prunasin seems to be present in most almond roots (with a variable concentration) only bitter-kernelled genotypes are able to transform it into amygdalin in the kernel. Breeding for prunasin-based resistance to the buprestid beetle Capnodis tenebrionis L. is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Mejora y Patología Vegetal, CEBAS-CSIC, P.O. Box 4195, 30080 Murcia, Spain. fdicenta@cebas.csic.es
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dicenta
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martínez-Gómez
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Grané
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: León
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cánovas
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Berenguer
mesh_terms: D000678:Amygdalin / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003486:Cyanides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D005838:Genotype; D009570:Nitriles / Q000032:analysis*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*; D018514:Plant Structures / Q000737:chemistry*; D027861:Prunus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D013649:Taste
chemical_list: D003486:Cyanides; D009570:Nitriles; C019063:prunasin; D000678:Amygdalin