Growth acceleration of plants and mushroom by erythritol

Abstract

The effects of erythritol, a safe and nontoxic sweetener, on organisms other than mammals have not been clarified. We investigated the effects of erythritol on plants and microorganisms. The supplementation of erythritol to white radish (Raphanus sativus L.), garlic (Allium sativum), and arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) enhanced the growth of their seedlings and roots, and shortened germination time. The supplementation of erythritol to a mushroom (Lentinula edodes) markedly enhanced the development of fruiting bodies. These results would suggest that erythritol has the attractive potential as a safe and useful growth accelerator for plants and microorganisms. Copyright © 2008 The Japanese Society for Plant Cell and Molecular Biology.