| Abstract | Studies were made on the biosynthesis of chlorogenic acid and on lignin formation in potato cells from suspension cultures. The cells were incubated with ¹⁴C-labelled compounds, and the degree of incorporation into chlorogenic acid and into lignin were measured. Shikimic acid and quinic acid were not readily absorbed by the cells, whereas cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid, and caffeic acid were absorbed very quickly. The results show that quinic acid and caffeic acid can serve as direct precursors of chlorogenic acid in the cells. A large proportion of the ¹⁴C from the aromatic compounds was incorporated into the alcohol-insoluble fraction, and was associated with a Klason lignin. The lignin aldehydes obtained after nitrobenzene oxidation of the alcohol-insoluble material consisted of p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillin, and trace amounts of syringaldehyde. |
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