Influence of different calcium and boron salts on cell wall degradation of melon plants caused by erwinia carotovora var. carotovora

ABSTRACT

The effect of different 10-6-103 M calcium nitrate, calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, calcium hypophosphate or calcium carbonate as well as 10-100 ppm sodium tetraborate on the activity of cellulase, pectinase, cell wall degrading enzymes and proteases was studied applying the colorimetric methods of assay. The results showed that raising the salts concentration was accompanied by a concomitant reduction in the activity of such enzymes. Furthermore, calcium nitrate, calcium sulfate and calcium hypophosphate were more effective inhibitors than the other test salts. In the meantime, using mixtures of calcium salts and sodium tetraborate revealed that borate + calcium nitrate or borate + calcium sulfate were more effective than the other mixtures