title: Mint essential oil can induce or inhibit potato sprouting  by differential alteration of apical meristem.
abstract: Sprouting of potatoes during storage, due to tuber dormancy release, is associated with weight loss and softening. Sprout-preventing chemicals, such as chlorpropham (CIPC), can negatively impact the environment and human health. Monthly thermal fogging with mint (Mentha spicata L.) essential oil (MEO) inhibited sprouting in eight potato cultivars during large-volume 6-month storage: the tubers remained firm with 38% lower weight loss after 140 days of storage. The sprout-inhibitory action may be nullified: treated tubers washed with water resumed sprouting within days, with reduced apical dominance. MEO application caused local necrosis of the bud meristem, and a few weeks later, axillary bud (AX) growth was induced in the same sprouting eye. MEO components analysis showed that 73% of its content is the monoterpene R-carvone. Tubers treated with synthetic R-carvone in equivalent dose, 4.5 microl l(-1), showed an inhibitory effect similar to that of MEO. Surprisingly, 0.5 microl l(-1) of MEO or synthetic R-carvone catalyzed AX sprouting in the tuber. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an essential oil vapor inducing early sprouting of potato tubers. R-carvone caused visible damage to the meristem membrane at sprout-inhibiting, but not sprout-inducing doses, suggesting different underlying mechanisms. After 5 days' exposure to R-carvone, its derivatives transcarveol and neo-dihydrocarveol were found in buds of tubers treated with the inhibitory dose, suggesting biodegradation. These experiments demonstrate the potential of MEO vapor as an environmentally friendly alternative to CIPC in stored potatoes and as a research tool for the control of sprouting in plants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Postharvest Science, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Teper-Bamnolker
authors.forename: Nativ
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dudai
authors.forename: Ravit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Belausov
authors.forename: Hanita
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zemach
authors.forename: Oded
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shoseyov
authors.forename: Dani
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Eshel
mesh_terms: D031337:Mentha spicata / Q000737:chemistry*; D018519:Meristem / Q000187:drug effects*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D009822:Oils, Volatile
references.citation: J Cell Sci. 2004 Feb 29;117(Pt 6):943-54
references.pmid: 14762108
references.citation: Curr Opin Plant Biol. 1999 Feb;2(1):51-5
references.pmid: 10047573
references.citation: Plant Physiol. 2003 Apr;131(4):1613-22
references.pmid: 12692320
references.citation: Curr Opin Plant Biol. 2001 Feb;4(1):33-7
references.pmid: 11163165
references.citation: Funct Integr Genomics. 2008 Nov;8(4):317-28
references.pmid: 18317824
references.citation: FEBS Lett. 1990 Aug 1;268(2):334-8
references.pmid: 2200713
references.citation: Phytochemistry. 2000 Nov;55(5):375-82
references.pmid: 11140596
references.citation: Plant Mol Biol. 2003 Feb;51(3):437-47
references.pmid: 12602873
references.citation: Planta. 1985 Aug;165(3):359-65
references.pmid: 24241141
references.citation: Plant Physiol. 2001 Dec;127(4):1405-13
references.pmid: 11743082
references.citation: Plant Physiol. 2001 Dec;127(4):1459-65
references.pmid: 11743089