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Isolation and Biophysical Study of Fruit Cuticles
Published on: March 30, 2012
Phenanthrene sorption by fruit cuticles and potato periderm with different compositional characteristics
1Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
|January 22, 2009
Summary
Plant cuticles and periderms sorb hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs). Cutin/suberin content, not waxes, dictates sorption, while polysaccharides hinder it, impacting plant uptake predictions.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Plant Biology
- Soil Science
Background:
- Plant cuticles and periderms form barriers against environmental stresses.
- Understanding their interaction with hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) is crucial for predicting environmental fate and plant uptake.
- Compositional variations between above-ground cuticles and below-ground periderms may influence contaminant sorption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate phenanthrene sorption by various plant tissues (fruit cuticles, potato periderm).
- To elucidate the role of specific compositional components (lipids, polysaccharides) in HOC affinity.
- To compare sorption properties of cuticle and periderm and correlate them with plant uptake.
Main Methods:
- Sorption experiments using phenanthrene as a model HOC.
- Fractionation of plant tissues into extractable lipids (waxes), depolymerizable lipids (cutin/suberin), nonsaponifiable lipids (cutan/suberan), and polysaccharides.
- Analysis of sorption coefficients (K(d)) in relation to tissue composition.
Main Results:
- Cutin/suberin significantly dominated phenanthrene sorption, more so than waxes.
- Sorption coefficient (K(d)) showed a linear correlation with total lipid content.
- Polysaccharides negatively impacted HOC sorption due to low affinity and steric hindrance.
- Periderm exhibited lower sorption than cuticle, attributed to higher polysaccharide and lower depolymerizable lipid content.
Conclusions:
- Depolymerizable lipids (cutin/suberin) are key determinants of HOC sorption in plant tissues.
- Polysaccharide content negatively influences HOC sorption and may be a predictive factor for plant uptake.
- Compositional differences between cuticle and periderm explain variations in contaminant sorption.
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