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Growth of hairy roots of Beta vulgaris, which produces betalaines, and of Tagetes patula, which produces thiophenes, was studied under the influence of externally treated polyamines.Of the three polyamines, viz. putrescine, spermidine and spermine, administered singly at 1.5 mM concentration, putrescine and spermidine at 0.75 mM concentration influenced increase in the accumulation of biomass of B. vulgaris and T. patula hairy roots by 1.42 and 1.30 fold over the control. Whereas, the treatment of spermine (1.5 mM) alone resulted in decrease in the biomass in both the systems. Combined administration of putrescine (0.75 mM) and spermidine (0.75 mM) enhanced growth in both B. vulgaris and T. patula than that observed in individual treatments. Polyamines administered alone or in combination did alter production of betalaine and thiophene content. Dose response experiments showed that, when putrescine and spermidine was administered at 0.75 mM concentration, it resulted in maximum biomass and production of betalaine and thiophene in B. vulgaris and T. patula respectively as compared to the control and the media treated with double and triple strength of nitrates and in combination with putrescine and spermidine at equimolar concentration. In B. wdgaris and T. patula hairy root cultures, endogenous spermine titers were maximum in putrescine and spermidine 0.75 mM each treated, cultures, which was 1.63 and 2.0 fold higher than in control on 28 th and 35 th days respectively.

Water uptake at 90°C and above in 16 rice cultivars, representing eight cooking-quality types, showed positive correlation ( P < 0.001) with the surface area of the grain, while a t 60°C it was negatively related to amylose ( P < 0.01), and gelatinisation temperature ( P < 0.001), and positively to equilibrium moisture content on soaking ( P < 0.001). The swelling and solubility curves for all varieties showed a two-stage swelling pattern. Swelling at 60°C was positively correlated ( P < 0.001) with water uptake at 60 and 70"C, while swelling at 70T, and solubility at 60 and 70"C, showed highly negative correlation ( P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively) with water uptake at high temperatures. Waxy rices showed distinct differences from non-waxy rices in their hydration, swelling and solubility behaviour. They swelled more but solubilised less than the non-waxy rices at 96°C.