Pyrolysis is the thermal degradation of organic material in the absence of oxygen. Some of the compounds released from this process can be captured by distillation to produce a smoke oil. Within these smoke derived compounds are Karrikins, shown to have bioactive properties in plants including breaking seed dormancy and enhancing anti-oxidant activity. We have recently demonstrated that crude extracts of smoke compounds derived from eucalyptus wood pyrolysis can reduce oxidative stress in a model tobacco leaf assay designed to induce rapid and quantifiable oxidative stress. We have also demonstrated that this protective effect can be replicated by the addition of Karrikin 1 but not Karrikin 2, inferring that there is some specificity to the anti-antioxidant effect induced by Karrikins.
We are currently exploring the identity of the bioactive components in the crude extracts by various means of fractionation and mass spectrometry and to evaluate the protective effects of these extracts in stressed plants grown in glasshouse pot trials and field trails. We hope that this research will identify bioactive fractions that can assist in a sustainable solution to alleviate abiotic stressors on crops plants and ultimately to assist agricultural production in a changing and uncertain climate.