Triacontanol

Triacontanol was first isolated in 1933 from alfalfa wax. It was identified as a saturated straight chain primary alcohol.[3] Triacontanol is found in various plant species as a minor component of the epicuticular wax. In wheat, triacontanol is about 3-4% of the leaf wax..[4] The effects of tricontanol also be seen when a chopped alfafa plant is placed in close proximity to the seedlings and various crop seeds. A substantial increase in yield and growth has been seen in different plants, such as cucumber, tomatoes, wheat, maize, lettuce, and rice.[5] Synthetic triacontanol has also shown similar capacity to enhance growth in different plant species.

Triacontanol does not react the same way in all plant species. The effects of triacontanol various in terms of photosynthesis and the yield manipulation in plant species. The effects on C-3 plants and C-4 plants. In tomato plant (C-3 plant), the treatment of triacontanol increases the dry leaf weight and inhibited the photosynthesis by 27% in dry leaves, whereas in the maize plants no change in photosynthesis occurs whether treated by triacontanol or not.[6] Although, the basic effect of treating seedlings of various plant species is an increase in plant growth, photosynthesis and the yield of the crops, the effects of triacontanol are not the same in every plant species. Some exhibit these symptoms while some show no response to the treatment to triacontanol. Different studies reveal that the effects of triacontanol differs with the amounts of the triacontanol used to treat the plant. A much higher dose of triacontanol could also have adverse effects on the growth of a plant. Triacontanol has been reported to increase productivity of some plants that have some therapeutic properties, such as turmeric roots.[7] In addition, the effects of triacontanol are observed in opium and morphine production.[8]

There are numerous corporations making synthetic triacontanol for enhancing the crop yield and pest resistance in the crops. Triacontanol improves the rate of cell division in a plant that produces larger roots and shoots. It has been shown that if triacontanol is applied during the maximized growth period of a plant in a appropriate amount, it enhances the enzymatic activity in the roots and hormone functionality increasing the overall performance of the plant.[9] Triacontanol basically operates by enhancing the basic functionality of the plant like increasing the rate of photosynthesis and producing more sugar or glucose. When the photosynthesis is operating finely in a plant, the plant make more sugars and absorb more sunlight. The plant then send more sugars to the rhizosphere via the root system where the growth, respiration and nutrient exchange take place in the vicinity of the soil.[10] Availability of more sugars lead to more respiration and nutrient exchange between the plants and the microorganisms in the soil. when the microbes receive more sugars from the plant, it increases the microbial activity in the root zone and they perform more efficiently in mining the nutrients like in the case of nitrogen fixation. These microorganisms particularly trace the nutrients essential for the soil. These nutrients are further used by the plants to build more complex nutrients and compounds essential for its rapid growth and defence from certain other microbes. These complex compounds maximize the yield of the crop as well as produce the antibodies that provide resistance from many other external factors. Overall, despite other benefits of adequate amount of triacontanol, just enhancing the photosynthesis increases the plant efficient in so many ways.

There are several chemical pathways via which triacontanol can be artificially synthesized. One method includes an organic compound succinic anhydride and a carboxylic acid docosanoic acid that have been used to attach the different carbon chains (C4 and C22) on 2 and 5 positions of thiophene, via two acylation sequences. Later, 2-5 substituted thiophene is reacted for desulphurization using Raney Nickel. It produces triacontanoic acid which can be reduced with lithium aluminum hydride (LAH) to produce 1-triacontanol.[11]

Another method of synthesizing triacontanol focuses on the high yield with the easily available and feasible compounds that can form triacontanol through some chemical reactions in laboratory settings. 1-octadecanol or stearyl alcohol and 1,12-dodecanediol. Using the phase transfer system the 1-octadecanol is converted to octadecanal. On the other hand, 1,12-dodecanediol goes through the phase transfer bromination and further reacted with 1-hydroxy-12-triphenylphosphonium bromide. Both the end products of the two compounds undergo Witting reaction to give the product. The resulted mixture is hydrogenated to give triacontanol.[12]