Reexamination of canavanine disappearance during germination of alfalfa (Medicago sativa).

It was proved that the canavanine present during germination of alfalfa both in the dark and in the light does not decrease and in fact increases a little, despite earlier papers having described the disappearance of canavanine during germination of alfalfa. The presence of canavanine in alfalfa sprouts was confirmed by isolation and comparison with an authentic specimen. Deaminocanavanine was also isolated from both seeds and sprouts of alfalfa, but it is not clear whether this canavanine derivative is a natural product or an artifact formed from canavanine during isolation procedures.