Capillary electrophoretic analysis of dimethylsulfoniopropionate in sugarcane and marine algal extracts

A simple and high-resolution analytical method for the determination of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) in sugarcane and marine algae is described. Effective extraction of DMSP from plant samples was also investigated using organic solvents, 5% perchloric acid or deionised water. To increase the sensitivity, DMSP in the extracts was first converted to a phenacyl ester, and the reaction mixture was applied directly to capillary electrophoresis without any pretreatment. Water extraction followed by esterification in a pH 4 reaction buffer was found most suitable for the measurement of alkaline-labile DMSP. This method was applied to the determination of DMSP levels in marine algae samples collected from the seashore of Nagasaki, Japan. An increase in DMSP content in Ulva pertusa in the winter period was observed.