AMYLASIC ACTIVITY IN THE BARLEY CARYOPSES AFTER CRYOPRESERVATION

Monica Şipoş, Alina Dora Samuel, Gheorghe Bandici

ABSTRACT

Our research has aimed at tracing the amylasic activity (AA) – during the first 44 hours of germination – in the barley caryopses (Hordeum vulgare L.) that have been frozen in liquid nitrogen (LN)(-196ºC) over variable periods of time (5 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week or 1 month).

The amylasic activity was non-significantly influenced further to the short term exposure – 5 minutes or 1 hour – of the caryopses at -196°C.

The cryopreservation of the barley grains for 1 day in LN has determined – with relation to the control lot – a statistically significant inhibition of AA, after 6 hours of germination; further on, to  20, 30 and 44 hours of germination there have been recorded stimulations of the activity of this enzyme, statistically relevant only at 30 hours from placing the caryopses to germinate.

The cryopreservation of the barley caryopses for 1 week or 1 month has made that at 6 hours of germination the AA activity to be significantly decreased in relation with corresponding parameter in the control grains. However, after 20 and 30 hours from placing the barley caryopses to germinate, significant stimulations of the AA have been registered; at 44 hours of germination the increases did not present statistic relevance.