Purification and dual-column HPLC determination of carboxylic acids in tissues,phloem and xylem saps of soybean plants

Summary A method for the determination of carboxylic acids in phloem sap, xylem sap and tissue extracts of soybean plants is reported. An easy and rapid procedure for the purification of the samples has been developed. Carboxylic acids were determined by isocratic HPLC. The separation of the first-eluting carboxylic acids and the unretained solutes have been improved by connecting an ion-exclusion column to the reversed-phase column. This chromatographic method also improved the separation of some carboxylic acids. The optimized method was applied to the determination of the carboxylic acids transported in xylem and phloem saps of soybean plants, or accumulated in their root tissues.     

Determination of inorganic and organic anions in xylem saps of two contrasting oilseed rape (Brassica juncea L.) varieties: Roles of anions in long-distance transport of cadmium

By optimizing chromatographic conditions of an ion chromatographic system, we identified and measured the major inorganic and organic anions (chloride, nitrate, malate, sulfate, phosphate and citrate) in the xylem saps of two contrasting tolerant oilseed rape (Brassica juncea L.) varieties (the high Cd-accumulating genotype Xikou Huazi and the low Cd-accumulating genotype Liangting Huazi). Cadmium concentrations in xylem saps were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. By analyzing the relationship between anion and cadmium concentrations, we considered that the relatively low phosphate concentrations in Xikou Huazi xylem saps might relate to the relatively high xylem transport of Cd for this genotype, and malate in oilseed rape xylem saps seemed to participate in the long-distance Cd translocation process. Our work might not only be very useful for understanding the mechanisms of Cd hyperaccumulation for Xikou Huazi, but also very beneficial for future application of Xikou Huazi in phytoremediation.     

The detection of aluminium complexes in forest soil solutions and beech xylem saps

Summary An ion-pair chromatographic method in which aluminium is quantitatively determined via derivatization with 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulphonic acid was evaluated for its utility as a method for speciating Al in soil solutions and xylem saps. The results show that aluminium fluoride and several five- or six-membered chelate complexes are stable enough to be analyzed chromatographically.     

Arsenic speciation in xylem sap of cucumber (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cucumis sativus</Emphasis> L.)

Flow injection analysis (FIA) and high-performance liquid chromatography double-focusing sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-DF-ICP-MS) were used for total arsenic determination and arsenic speciation of xylem sap of cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus L.) grown in hydroponics containing 2 μmol dm⁻³ arsenate or arsenite, respectively. Arsenite [As(III)], arsenate [As(V)] and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) were identified in the sap of the plants. Arsenite was the predominant arsenic species in the xylem saps regardless of the type of arsenic treatment, and the following concentration order was determined: As(III) > As(V) > DMA. The amount of total As, calculated taking into consideration the mass of xylem sap collected, was almost equal for both treatments. Arsenite was taken up more easily by cucumber than arsenate. Partial oxidation of arsenite to arsenate (<10% in 48 h) was observed in the case of arsenite-containing nutrient solutions, which may explain the detection of arsenate in the saps of plants treated with arsenite.     

Formation of metal-nicotianamine complexes as affected by pH, ligand exchange with citrate and metal exchange. A study by electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Nicotianamine (NA) is considered as a key element in plant metal homeostasis. This non-proteinogenic amino acid has an optimal structure for chelation of metal ions, with six functional groups that allow octahedral coordination. The ability to chelate metals by NA is largely dependent on the pK of the resulting complex and the pH of the solution, with most metals being chelated at neutral or basic pH values. In silico calculations using pKa and pK values have predicted the occurrence of metal-NA complexes in plant fluids, but the use of soft ionization techniques (e.g. electrospray), together with high-resolution mass spectrometers (e.g. time-of-flight mass detector), can offer direct and metal-specific information on the speciation of NA in solution. We have used direct infusion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (time-of-flight) ESI-MS(TOF) to study the complexation of Mn, Fe(II), Fe(III), Ni, Cu by NA. The pH dependence of the metal-NA complexes in ESI-MS was compared to that predicted in silico. Possible exchange reactions that may occur between Fe-NA and other metal micronutrients as Zn and Cu, as well as between Fe-NA and citrate, another possible Fe ligand candidate in plants, were studied at pH 5.5 and 7.5, values typical of the plant xylem and phloem saps. Metal-NA complexes were generally observed in the ESI-MS experiments at a pH value approximately 1-2 units lower than that predicted in silico, and this difference could be only partially explained by the estimated error, approximately 0.3 pH units, associated with measuring pH in organic solvent-containing solutions. Iron-NA complexes are less likely to participate in ligand- and metal-exchange reactions at pH 7.5 than at pH 5.5. Results support that NA may be the ligand chelating Fe at pH values usually found in phloem sap, whereas in the xylem sap NA is not likely to be involved in Fe transport, conversely to what occurs with other metals such as Cu and Ni. Some considerations that need to be addressed when studying metal complexes in plant compartments by ESI-MS are also discussed.     

Simultaneous determination of organic acids and nitrate in xylem saps of the hyperaccumulator Alyssum murale by RP-HPLC after solid-phase extraction with nanosized hydroxyapatite

An analytical approach based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) with nanosized hydroxyapatite and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) for the simultaneous determination of organic acids (oxalic, malic, malonic, citric, and fumaric) and nitrate in xylem saps of the hyperaccumulator Alyssum murale is presented in this study. The optimum experimental conditions for the separation and determination of organic acids and nitrate are studied. The interference from nitrate on oxalic acid in RP-HPLC is eliminated by SPE with nanosized hydroxyapatite, and the simultaneous determination of organic acids and nitrate is achieved by RP-HPLC at the optimum chromatographic conditions. The accuracy of the method is confirmed with an average recovery ranging between 95.2% and 99.8%, the relative standard deviations (RSD) are less than 2.0%. This method is successfully applied to determine the organic acids and nitrate in xylem saps of the hyperaccumulator Alyssum murale.     

青海群加地区种植大黄根茎组织结构中微量元素特征

微量元素对于种植青海大黄的生长发育有着重要作用。采集青海群加地区种植大黄根茎,分为皮层、韧皮部、木质部和髓部等四部分,采用原子吸收光谱法分别测试了其不同组织中铜、锌、铁、锰、钴、镍等元素含量。结果表明,种植大黄根茎中铜、锌、铁、锰等元素主要分布在皮层,其次是木质部或髓部,元素含量较低的是韧皮部。随着生长年龄增加种植大黄对铁、锰、钴元素营养需求量有所增加,对锌、铜、镍元素营养的需求量略减。     

Study on difference between epidermis, phloem and xylem of Radix Ginseng with near-infrared and infrared spectroscopy coupled with principal component analysis

Ginseng is a precious traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Different parts of ginseng are deemed to have different medicinal values and properties. Rapid and non-destructive methods, such as diffuse reflectance near-infrared spectroscopy (DR-NIR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (ATR-FTIR), were used to evaluate the differences of epidermis, phloem and xylem in ginseng, respectively. Samples were grounded into 200-mesh fine powder or cut into slices with about 2 mm thickness for DR-NIR and ATR-FTIR spectra measurement, respectively. To explore the classifications between different parts of ginseng, the spectra of DR-NIR and ATR-FTIR were pretreated to calculate first derivative and then was analyzed with principal component analysis (PCA). The PCA results of DR-NIR spectra indicate that epidermis and xylem part of ginseng have distinct difference, and even different positions of epidermis or xylem part show regular and gradual differences. ATR-FTIR spectra directly show that three parts of ginseng are different at 2920, 2852, 1736 and 925.7 cm⁻¹ peaks, especially for epidermis of ginseng. The PCA results of ATR-FTIR spectra yield clear classifications of the three parts of ginseng.     

Identification of amino acids by material enhanced laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry (MELDI-MS) in positive- and negative-ion mode

In the present study, different silica gel modifications were evaluated for their application as target surface for material enhanced laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometric (MELDI-MS) investigation of amino acids. 4,4′-Azodianiline (ADA-silica) modified silica gel was successfully employed for the qualitative analysis of amino acids in positive- and in negative-ion mode. Further no derivatisation of amino acids was necessary, as the introduced system allowed the direct analysis of targets and delivered spectra with excellent signal intensity and signal-to-noise ratio within a few minutes. The influence of surface chemistry, ionisation mode and the nature of analytes on signal intensity was studied and discussed. Detection limit of 2.10 pg (10 fmol) was achieved by employing ADA-silica in positive-ion mode. Finally, xylem saps from different types of trees were analysed. This proved the high performance and excellent behaviour of the introduced target surface material.     

Pulse labeling of dissolved (13) C-carbonate into tree xylem: developing a new method to determine the fate of recently fixed photosynthate

Stable carbon isotopes are often employed as tracers in plant and soil systems to study the fate and transformations of carbon as is it assimilated by the forest canopies and then translocated into the soil matrix and soil microorganisms. This experiment tested a new method of ¹³C‐labeling. We dissolved ¹³C‐carbonate into 12 mL of water and injected it into the xylem of a 6‐cm diameter tree. The isotopic composition of foliage, stem CO₂, and phloem contents were measured before the experiment and up to two weeks after the pulse label. Isotopic enrichments of 6.1‰ and 7.7‰ were observed in stem CO₂ and phloem contents, respectively. No enrichment in bulk foliage was observed. The pulse came through the phloem five days after the label was injected, consistent with expectations based on transport rates through the tree. The application of this xylem pulse‐labeling method may provide new insights into labile carbon sequestration in trees, perhaps even in much larger trees. Furthermore, the method could be applied under experimental treatments that would elucidate the mechanisms controlling the fate and transformation of recently fixed photosynthate in forests. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of total-reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography for the chemical characterization of xylem saps of nickel contaminated cucumber plants

Total-reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry, reversed-phase (RP) and size–exclusion (SE) high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods were applied for the characterization of low-volume xylem sap of control and nickel contaminated cucumber plants growing in hydroponics containing urea as the sole nitrogen source. In these saps collected for 1 h, Ca, K, Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn, as well as malic, citric and fumaric acids were determined. The SEC measurements showed that macromolecules were not detectable in the samples. Nickel contamination had minimum impact on the organic acid transport, however, the transport of Zn, K and Fe was reduced by 50, 22 and 11%, respectively. This observation supports the results of our earlier experiments when nitrate ions were used as the sole nitrogen form. At the same time, the fresh root weight and the volume of the collected xylem sap increased by 36 and 85%, respectively. Therefore, nickel addition seemed to decrease the urea toxicity of the plants. By pooling the eluting fractions of the SEC column, which were 10-fold concentrated by freeze-drying, the series of the resulted samples were analyzed by the TXRF spectrometry and RP-HPLC. The three organic acids could be identified in only one of the fractions, which contained Fe and, in the case of the contaminated plants, Ni in detectable concentration. However, considerable parts of these two elements and Mn, as well as practically the total amounts of Cu may be transported by unidentified organic compounds in the xylem.     

Analysis and Characterization of Korean Lacquer

Three kinds of Korean lacquer saps were analyzed including chemical composition, enzymatic activity, molecular weight distribution, unsaturated degree of side chain, and drying property. The results were compared with Chinese and Japanese lacquer saps all collected in the same month (August 2012 and 2013) to investigate similarities and differences. Compared with Chinese and Japanese saps, the Korean lacquer sap contains the most lipids (84.9%) and urushiol triene (56.1%) components and the second highest enzyme activity after Chinese lacquer sap. In the drying and film hardness test, Korean and Chinese film reached a stronger hardness sooner than Japanese lacquer film; in 21 days the former reached 2H and the latter only H. The results of IR, NMR, and GC-MS analysis showed slight differences due to different growing conditions.     

新型杀菌剂氟吗啉在黄瓜植株体内的吸收传导行为

利用生物测定技术和高效液相色谱法研究了氟吗啉在黄瓜植株体内的吸收、传导和分布行为及其机制. 结果表明, 氟吗啉能被黄瓜植株被动吸收, 并通过木质部在体内传导和分布.     

离子色谱法测定大豆木质部汁液中的Cl-、SO42-、NO3-、PO43-、柠檬酸和苹果酸

建立了离子色谱法测定大豆木质部汁液中Cl~-、SO_4~(2-)、NO_3~-、PO_4~(3-)、柠檬酸和苹果酸的方法。Cl~-、SO_4~(2-)、NO_3~-、PO_4~(3-)、柠檬酸和苹果酸的检出限分别为0.01、0.04、0.05、0.05、0.30和0.10 mg/L,相对标准偏差分别为8.34％、4.68％、9.54％、6.86％、5.52％和7.50％,线性范围分别为0.5～50.0、1.0～100.0、0.5～50.0、1.0～100.0、5.0～100.0和1.0～100.0 mg/L,回收率分别为103％～106.7％、92％～98.7％、93％～95.5％、91.7％～92％、93.2％～106％和94％～108.3％。方法简便、快速,测定结果准确,无干扰。     

Iron (Fe) speciation in xylem sap by XANES at a high brilliant synchrotron X-ray source: opportunities and limitations

The development of highly brilliant synchrotron facilities all around the world is opening the way to new research in biological sciences including speciation studies of trace elements in plants. In this paper, for the first time, iron (Fe) speciation in xylem sap has been assessed by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy at the highly brilliant synchrotron PETRA III, beamline P06. Both standard organic Fe-complexes and xylem sap samples of Fe-deficient tomato plants were analyzed. The high photon flux provided by this X-ray synchrotron source allows on one side to obtain good XANES spectra in a reasonable amount of time (approx. 15 min for 200 eV scan) at low Fe concentrations (sub parts-per-million), while on the other hand may cause radiation damage to the sample, despite the sample being cooled by a stream of liquid nitrogen vapor. Standard Fe-complexes such as Fe(III)-succinate, Fe(III)-α-ketoglutarate, and Fe(III)-nicotianamine are somehow degraded when irradiated with synchrotron X-rays and Fe(III) can undergo photoreduction. Degradation of the organic molecules was assessed by HPLC-UV/Vis analyses on the same samples investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Fe speciation in xylem sap samples revealed Fe(III) to be complexed by citrate and acetate. Nevertheless, artifacts created by radiation damage cannot be excluded. The use of highly brilliant synchrotrons as X-ray sources for XAS analyses can dramatically increase the sensitivity of the technique for trace elements thus allowing their speciation in xylem sap. However, great attention must be paid to radiation damage, which can lead to biased results.

An Exploration of the Effect of the Kleier Model and Carrier-Mediated Theory to Design Phloem-Mobile Pesticides Based on Researching the N-Alkylated Derivatives of Phenazine-1-Carboxylic Acid-Glycine

The Kleier model and Carrier-mediated theory are effective for molecularly designing pesticides with phloem mobility. However, the single Kleier model or Carrier-mediated theory cannot achieve a reliable explanation of the phloem mobility of all exogenous substances. A detailed investigation of the two models and the scope of their applications can provide a more accurate and highly efficient basis for the guidance of the design and development of phloem-mobile pesticides. In the present paper, a strategy using active ingredient-amino acid conjugates as mode compounds is developed based on Carrier-mediated theory. An N-alkylated amino acid is used to improve the pesticide’s physicochemical properties following the Kleier model, thus allowing the conjugates to fall on the predicted and more accessible transportation region of phloem. Moreover, the influence of this movement on phloem is inspected by the Kleier model and Carrier-mediated theory. To verify this strategy, a series of N-alkylated phenazine-1-carboxylic acid-glycine compounds (PCA-Gly) were designed and synthesized. The results related to the castor bean seeds (R. communis L.) indicated that all the target compounds (4a–4f) had phloem mobility. The capacity for phloem mobility shows that N-alkylated glycine containing small substituents can significantly improve PCA phloem mobility, such as 4c(i-C₃H₇-N) > 4a(CH₃-N) ≈ 4b(C₂H₅-N) > 4d (t-C₄H₉-N) > PCA-Gly > 4e(C₆H₅-N) > 4f(CH₂COOH-N), with an oil–water partition coefficient between 1.2~2.5. In particular, compounds 4a(CH₃-N), 4b(C₂H₅-N), and 4c(i-C₃H₇-N) present better phloem mobility, with the average concentrations in phloem sap of 14.62 μΜ, 13.98 μΜ, and 17.63 μΜ in the first 5 h, which are 8 to 10 times higher than PCA-Gly (1.71 μΜ). The results reveal that the Kleier model and Carrier-mediated theory play a guiding role in the design of phloem-mobile pesticides. However, the single Kleier model or Carrier-mediated theory are not entirely accurate. Still, there is a synergism between Carrier-mediated theory and the Kleier model for promoting the phloem transport of exogenous compounds. Therefore, we suggest the introduction of endogenous plant compounds as a promoiety to improve the phloem mobility of pesticides through Carrier-mediated theory. It is necessary to consider the improvement of physicochemical properties according to the Kleier model, which can contribute to a scientific theory for developing phloem-mobile pesticides.     

Fruit Tree model for uptake of organic compounds from soil and air

The current European risk assessment for chemicals considers only tap water, while in reality other beverages play an important role. A good part of beverages are made from fruits, for example apple juice and vine. A mathematical model was developed to predict uptake of neutral organic chemicals from soil and air into fruits. The new fruit tree model considers eight compartments, i.e. two soil compartments, fine roots, thick roots, stem, leaves, fruits, and air. Chemical equilibrium, advective transport in xylem and phloem, diffusive exchange to soil and air and growth dilution are the main processes. The parameterization is for a square-meter of an apple orchard. The model predicts that polar, non-volatile compounds will effectively be transported from soil to fruits, while lipophilic compounds will preferably accumulate from air into fruits. Results from various experiments show no disagreement with the model predictions.     

Fruit Tree model for uptake of organic compounds from soil and air†

The current European risk assessment for chemicals considers only tap water, while in reality other beverages play an important role. A good part of beverages are made from fruits, for example apple juice and vine. A mathematical model was developed to predict uptake of neutral organic chemicals from soil and air into fruits. The new fruit tree model considers eight compartments, i.e. two soil compartments, fine roots, thick roots, stem, leaves, fruits, and air. Chemical equilibrium, advective transport in xylem and phloem, diffusive exchange to soil and air and growth dilution are the main processes. The parameterization is for a square-meter of an apple orchard. The model predicts that polar, non-volatile compounds will effectively be transported from soil to fruits, while lipophilic compounds will preferably accumulate from air into fruits. Results from various experiments show no disagreement with the model predictions.     

Characterization of the volatile fraction emitted by phloems of four pinus species by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Pine forests constitute some of the most important renewable resources supplying timber, paper and chemical industries, among other functions. Characterization of the volatiles emitted by different Pinus species has proven to be an important tool to decode the process of host tree selection by herbivore insects, some of which cause serious economic damage to pines. Variations in the relative composition of the bouquet of semiochemicals are responsible for the outcome of different biological processes, such as mate finding, egg-laying site recognition and host selection. The volatiles present in phloem samples of four pine species, P. halepensis, P. sylvestris, P. pinaster and P. pinea, were identified and characterized with the aim of finding possible host-plant attractants for native pests, such as the bark beetle Tomicus piniperda. The volatile compounds emitted by phloem samples of pines were extracted by headspace solid-phase micro extraction, using a 2cm 50/30mm divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane table flex solid-phase microextraction fiber and its contents analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography, using flame ionization and a non polar and chiral column phases. The components of the volatile fraction emitted by the phloem samples were identified by mass spectrometry using time-of-flight and quadrupole mass analyzers. The estimated relative composition was used to perform a discriminant analysis among pine species, by means of cluster and principal component analysis. It can be concluded that it is possible to discriminate pine species based on the monoterpenes emissions of phloem samples.     

Changes in the vascular tissue of fresh Hass avocados treated with cobalt 60

This research was based on fresh avocado fruit treated with gamma rays at quarantine doses and stored at room temperature. The effects of irradiation were analyzed and measured by three different types of studies: histological, biochemical and physiological. Histological studies were focused on the effect of Cobalt 60 gamma rays in the mesocarp of avocado irradiated at three different doses; 150, 250, and 350 Gy. Damage was observed principally in the parenchyma tissue where the cell membrane was plazmolized and a red color was observed due to the development of phenol compounds. Another important effect was an increase in the size of xylem and phloem cells in the vascular tissue even at the minimum dose of 150 Gy. The biochemical and the physiological studies were done on avocado fruit irradiated at 100 and 150 Gy. An increase in L-phenilalanine ammonialyase activity was observed and therefore, an increase in the concentration of phenol compounds. These changes were not perceived by panelists in a sensorial test. Irradiated fruits were accepted by panelists as well as control fruit as regards parameters of taste, internal color and external color. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using irradiation to disinfest avocado fruit using a minimum dose of 100 Gy.