The effect of inhibitors on the efflux of betacyanin and aerobic respiration in red beet tissue.

The effects of various concentrations of cyanide, azide, and 2,4-dinitrophenol on O2 consumption and efflux of betacyanin from red beet disks were determined over a 4 hour test period. During the first hour the inhibitors produced only slight increases in betacyanin efflux, irrespective of inhibitor concentration and rate of O2 consumption. At incubation periods longer than 1 hour it was suggestive that higher inhibitor concentrations caused a larger efflux of betacyanin than the same inhibitor at a lower concentration. However, inhibitor comparison studies showed no direct relationship between aerobic respiration and efflux of betacyanin. It is suggested that the increase in the efflux of betacyanin and the decrease in respiration are two independent processes and it appears that cellular metabolism may not be directly involved in the maintenance of membrane integrity, however, further work is needed to verify this hypothesis.