1) amount just prior to the accumulation of raffinose and stachyose. In some seeds, di-, tri- and tetra-galactosyl oligomers of myo- and chiro-inositol, and of ononitol and pinotol (methyl ether-inositols) accumulate during the dehydra¬tion phase of seed development. The galactosyl cyclitols are thought to have roles in embryo nutrition and protection similar to those of the a-galactosides (Gorecki et al., 1997b; Obendorf, 1997), and they probably also give rise to gastrointestinal problems (Schweizer and Horman, 1981).