A search for some angiosperm hormones and their metabolites in Caulerpa paspaloides (Chlorophyta)

The best available methods were used to search for angiosperm hormones in the green alga Caulerpa paspaloides. Solvent partitioning of methanol extracts led to acidic ethyl acetate fractions that were run through high-performance liquid chromatography. Each of the resulting 25 fractions was divided in half so that one half was tested in the dwarf rice or lettuce hypocotyl assays for gibberellins and the other half was methylated and silylated for capillary gas chromatography combined with computerized mass spectrometry. By comparing algal mass spectra with spectra in the extensive library of mass spectra and associated Kovats Retention Indices that MacMillan's Bristol group has amassed, indole-3-acetic acid's presence in the alga was confirmed and dioxindole-3-acetic acid was found. However, despite the presence of several peaks of gibberellin-like activity in the bioassays, no gibberellin or gibberellin metabolite was found in the thousands of full mass spectra examined. The gibberellin-like activity in the acidic ethyl acetate fractions was therefore presumably not from any gibberellin known from vascular plants.