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Cell suspension culture of Phaseolus aureus, Glycine max and Pisum sativum have been used to determine the extent of chalcone and isoflavone catabolism. The A-rings of calcones and isoflavones with both resorcinol and phloroglucinol pattern of sub­stitution have unequivocally been shown to be degraded as measured by carbon dioxide production The earlier described catabolic pathway of chalcones with the B-ring liberated as a substituted benzoic acid has been verified using another chalcone. With the use of various 14C-labelled isoflavones it could be demonstrated that essentially all carbon atoms are introduced into catabolic reactions. Incorporation of 4',7-dihydroxyisoflavone (daidzein) into insoluble polymeric material has been shown to proceed via the 3',4',7-trihydroxyisoflavone. 3'-Hydroxylation and subsequent polymeri­sation of the orto-dihydroxy compound can completely be inhibited by using anaerobic conditions which favour glucoside formation instead. 4'-O-Methylgroups in isoflavones prevent the phenolase catalzyed 3'-hydroxylation and thus the incorporation of isoflavones into polymeric structures. 6,7-Dihydroxy substituted insoflavones when fed to cell cultures are not polymerized by phenolase but are rather converted to glycosides.

Gas chromatographic-mass spectroscopic evidence is presented for the presence of guanosine-3': 5'-monophosphate (cGMP) in maize seedlings. The amount of cGMP (35-72 pmol g(-1) fresh weight) was quantified as a tetra-silyl derivative using gas-chromatographic detection with reference to a silylated standard of authentic cGMP. Gas-chromatographic separation of tri-silyl adenosine-3': 5'-monophosphate and tetra-silyl cGMP is demonstrated.

After further purification of a previously prepared impure compound from floweringKalanchoe blossfeldiana v. Poelln., and subjecting it to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry it was identified as prostaglandin F2α. The amount was 1-2 ng g(-1) fresh weight. This result demonstrates the presence of a prostaglandin in a higher plant.