Re: Red anthocyanin

[Thomas Barr <tcbiii at earthlink_net>]

> http://194.236.255.117/lkpakvarie/defdac/articles/Case_Study_Effect_of_UV-B_
> on_Rice.html
> There you can also read about anthocyanin and UV-B.

You can also read page 7 and see that there is no conclusive proof(with
ref's) that this occurs. He _speculates_ and believes it happens, but in
vitro and nature are two different places. Also, the notion of what it
does/function is arguable, and the author considers one view point with one
or a group of Rice plants, certainly nothing to make a case for a broad
generalization.  Comparative studies are more suitable and much more needed
to make broad generalizations.

One idea a grad student friend is doing is using algae in high alpine lakes
to study the effects of different pigment changes to exposure to UV light.

I suggested to him that they could isolate the pigments via TLC plate. From
there one could test whatever properties of the various pigments. You could
even develop a sun screen based on the pigments of algae even.
Algae grows in much harsher environments that plants, and would perhaps
likely have many adaptions to high UV light.
He was simply looking at relative biomass's abundance to exposure of UV.

But algae in alpine lakes is not red.........but UV is certainly much higher
in the lakes/snow/rocks etc. You will find some deep green and red algae
deep in the ocean.
  
 
> 
> Tom Barr wrote:
>> You can look yourself if you have some knowledge of plant anatomy and
> microscope.
> Cool. I will when I can get my old microscope from my parents. I don't have
> the knowledge, but I can google ;)

It's not too bad. You'll see granules or chromoplast, tannins have a
characteristic color, Anthocyanin does also. Try Tomato pulp, Begonia,
flower parts, red plants etc.
Hydrilla also is very active with cytoplasmic streaming, you can see the
chloroplast flying around inside the cells very fast if you pick off a leaf
from the tip.

 
>> Not all red color in plants is from anthocyanin.
> Certainly not. I now use a Philips Aquarelle and it manages to induce a
> quite
> different red in my L. arcuata. Nicer and more natural color.

I typically like the blood red colors with a nice healthy looking sheen to
the leaf etc.
Regards, 
Tom Barr