α-Naphthaleneacetic (syn: 1-NAA) acid is a synthetic auxin and plant growth regulator and routinely used for vegetative propagation of plants from stem and leaf cuttings. It can also be used for callus induction.
naphthylacetic acid substituted by a carboxymethyl group at position 1. It is a conjugate acid of a 1-naphthaleneacetate.
α-NAA is soluble in acetone, isopropyl alcohol, and other organic solvents. It is very slightly soluble in water.
| Plant Biology Applications |
The effect of NAA on plant growth is greatly dependent on the time of exposure and concentration. When used after four weeks, NAA stimulates shoot growth, while full-time use limits growth. When used in a 4-week pulse, adventitious root growth is greatly increased (Ashburner, 1993). It can be added to plant tissue culture media such as Murashing & Skoog (MS), Chu's N6, K3, V-KM, Cg. It can be used for callus induction or in transformant selection. In plant biotechnology, it can be used as an abscission promoter, to stimulate root formation in cuttings of woody, herbaceous plants, and vines. It can also prevent premature flower and fruit drop, control tree sprout regrowth, prevent sprouting in stored vegetables (potato, turnip, ornamental bulbs). Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and salicylic acid (SA) in combination reduced salt stress in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) cv. AR-8 and improved leaf area, plant height, and root activity compared to untreated stressed plants (Mohamed et al, 2016). 1-NAA enables the exploration of auxin′s influence on gene expression and protein synthesis. |
| References |
Ashburner GR, Thompsons WK and Burgh JM (1993) Effect of α-Naphthaleneacetic Acid and sucrose levels on the development of cultured embryos of coconut. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture. 35: 157-163 Mohamed E et al (2026) Synergistic effect of naphthalene acetic acid and salicylic acid on the growth and tolerance mechanism of cucumber under salt stress. Sci Rep. 16(1):9203 PMID 41832243 |
