The aim of this work was to investigate claims that sprouting tubers of Dioscorea contain appreciable amounts of free pentoses and show high activity of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway. [1 −14 C]‐ and [6 −14 C] glucose were supplied to tubers of Dioscorea rotundata Pair and Dioscorea bulbifera L. No significant labelling of free pentose was detected. The two isotopes labelled the fractions that contained the organic acids, ammo acids and protein almost equally. Pentoses were not detected in significant amounts when the sugar fractions were analysed by gas chromatography. It is argued that neither of the above suggestions is correct.
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Osagie et al. (1990) studied this question.
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