Abstract:

Plastid pigments are important natural products in flue-cured tobacco and there are about two types such as chlorophyll and carotenoid. In green tobacco two major chlorophylls are present: chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b(Fig.1). Four major carotenoids are present: lutein, beta-carotene, violaxanthin and neoxanthin(Fig.5). It is known that carotenoid degradation products such as beta-ionone, damascenone, beta-damascone, 2,2,6-trimethylcyclohex-2,4-dione and the megastigmatrienones are important to the aroma of flue-cured tobacco. Cake fertilizer can increase the qualities of flue-cured tobacco leaves, as we know. Our knowledge of pigments degradation pathways is limited to studies of enzymatic degradation in tomatoes, the degradation of beta-carotene by a tea flavanols. Study on pigments degradation and related enzyme activities and the effect of cake fertilizer can improve the quality-formed theories of flue-cured tobacco.
Pot experiment was conduction to study the effect of cake fertilizer on the pigments metabolism and relating enzyme activity of growing flue-cured tobacco leaf. Two types fertilizer were performed: mineral fertilizer and 50% mineral fertilizer matched 50% cake fertilizer. Results obtained are as follows: The content of Chlorophyll, Chlorophyllase, Carotenoids during the growth of flue-cured tobacco leaf under the cake fertilizer. Under the mineral fertilizer, the proportion of chlorophyll a/b was holding invariableness, but the proportion of chlorophyll a/b was lower during the later senescence under the cake fertilizer. During the former and metaphase the content of neoxanthin under the cake fertilizer was more, but it was changed during the later phase. The content of lutein and β-carotene in condition of cake fertilizer were remarked more than theirs in the mineral fertilizer condition. Two conditions had sameness effect on vioxanthin. During the former phase of flue-cured tobacco leaf the activity of LOX(mineral) were higher, but after 30 days the activity of LOX(Cake) were remarkable higher than minerals. Proportion of the carotenoids and the relation of the pigment and relating enzyme had changed under the cake fertilizer.

Key words: Cake fertilizer, Flue-cured tobacco, Growth, Pigment, Chlorophyllase, LOX