Biochemical changes in cuttings of Robinia pseudoacacia after treatment with naphthenate

Naphthenic acids were isolated from gas oil fractions (distillation interval 168-290?C) of Vojvodina crude oil "Velebit", characterized and their biological activity evaluated by the biochemical changes in cuttings of Robinia pseudoacacia after treatment with naphthenate. The activities of IAA peroxidase, total peroxidases and amylase, as well as the contents of reducing sugars and total proteins, were determined in the basal parts of soft wood cuttings of black locust after treatment with sodium naphthenate or the sodium salt of 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), concentration 10-7 mol dm-3 for 3 or 6 h. High activities of IAA oxidase and amylase, together with a low activity of peroxidase (which is known as being stimulatory for the initiation and activation of primordia) were obtained after the three-hour treatment with sodium naphthenate. Six-hour treatment had an inhibitory effect on the examined biochemical markers. The effects of three- and six-hour treatments with NAA were between those of the corresponding treatment with naphthenic acids. .