Germination Inhibitors in Methanol Extract from Taxus chinensis var.mairei Seed

The bioassay of the methanol extract from different parts of Taxus chinensis var.mairei seed was carried out and the inhibitors were identified using GC-MS methods, in order to investigate the relationship between the inhibitors and the dormancy of T. chinensis var.mairei seed. The results showed that the methanol extract from middle spermoderm, endopleura and endosperm of T. chinensis var.mairei seed had the inhibitory effects on the percentage germination, height and root growth of Brassica campestris seedling. Moreover, the higher the extract concentration was the more obvious the inhibitory effect were Also, it was first time that many organic compounds were identified from different parts of T. chinensis var.mairei seed, and the inhibitors and their relative content were mensurated, these inhibitors included the reported heptanoic acid, nonanoic acid and acetic acid. It is concluded that the seed of T. chinensis var.mairei contains some germination inhibitors.