Department Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, University of Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany.
Department of Plant Morphology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, University of Wrocław, Kanonia Street 6/8, 50-328 Wrocław, Poland.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Feb 1;22(3):1443. doi: 10.3390/ijms22031443.
Seed and fruit mucilage is composed of three types of polysaccharides-pectins, cellulose, and hemicelluloses-and demonstrates adhesive properties after hydration. One of the important functions of the mucilage is to enable seeds to attach to diverse natural surfaces. Due to its adhesive properties, which increase during dehydration, the diaspore can be anchored to the substrate (soil) or attached to an animal's body and dispersed over varied distances. After complete desiccation, the mucilage envelope forms a thin transparent layer around the diaspore creating a strong bond to the substrate. In the present study, we examined the mucilaginous seeds of six different plant taxa (from genera Linum, Lepidium, Ocimum, Salvia and Plantago) and addressed two main questions: (1) How strong is the adhesive bond of the dried mucilage envelope? and (2) What are the differences in adhesion between different mucilage types? Generally, the dried mucilage envelope revealed strong adhesive properties. Some differences between mucilage types were observed, particularly in relation to adhesive force () whose maximal values varied from 0.58 to 6.22 N. The highest adhesion force was revealed in the cellulose mucilage of . However, mucilage lacking cellulose fibrils, such as that of , also demonstrated high values of adhesion force with a maximum close to 5.74 N. The adhesion strength, calculated as force per unit contact area (), was comparable between studied taxa. Obtained results demonstrated (1) that the strength of mucilage adhesive bonds strongly surpasses the requirements necessary for epizoochory and (2) that seed mucilage has a high potential as a nontoxic, natural substance that can be used in water-based glues.
种子和果实的粘液由三种多糖-果胶、纤维素和半纤维素组成，在水合后表现出粘性。粘液的一个重要功能是使种子能够附着在各种自然表面上。由于其粘性在脱水过程中增加，因此， diaspores 可以锚定在基质（土壤）上，或者附着在动物的身体上，并散布到不同的距离。在完全干燥后，粘液包膜在 diaspores 周围形成一层薄薄的透明层，与基质形成牢固的结合。在本研究中，我们检查了六种不同植物类群（来自亚麻属、独行菜属、罗勒属、鼠尾草属和车前属）的粘液种子，并提出了两个主要问题：（1）干燥粘液包膜的粘性结合力有多强？（2）不同粘液类型之间的粘附差异是什么？一般来说，干燥的粘液包膜表现出很强的粘性。观察到粘液类型之间存在一些差异，特别是在粘着力（）方面，其最大值从 0.58 到 6.22 N 不等。纤维素粘液在 中表现出最高的粘附力。然而，缺乏纤维素纤维的粘液，如 ，也表现出接近 5.74 N 的高粘附力。以单位接触面积（）计算的粘附强度在研究的类群之间相当。研究结果表明：（1）粘液粘性结合的强度远远超过了动物传播所必需的强度；（2）种子粘液具有作为无毒、天然物质的高潜力，可用于水基胶水中。
