Soluble saccharides and cyclitols in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) somatic embryos, leaflets, and mature seeds

Soluble carbohydrates were identified and quantified during development, maturation and desiccation of somatic embryos of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and compared to soluble carbohydrates in leaflets and mature seeds, to relate changes in soluble carbohydrates to maturation events. Somatic embryos have elevated levels of sucrose. However, in contrast to mature seeds, alfalfa somatic embryos do not accumulate d-pinitol or the galactosyl derivatives of d-pinitol such as galactopinitol A, galactopinitol B and ciceritol. Lower levels of stachyose accumulate during maturation of somatic embryos, but stachyose increases to levels in mature seeds during desiccation of somatic embryos. When stachyose accumulation is limited in somatic embryos, galactinol and digalactosyl myo-inositol increase. Reducing sugars decline to low levels during desiccation of somatic embryos and sucrose: oligosaccharide ratio decreases from 2.7 to 0.9, approaching the ratio 0.2 to 0.3 in mature dry seeds. Except for the lack of pinitol and galactosyl pinitols, changes in soluble carbohydrates during the maturation and desiccation of alfalfa somatic embryos are typical of changes occurring in mature seeds that have been reported to be associated with desiccation tolerance and storability.