LC-MS Analysis and Quantification of Plants Apocarotenoids

Area of Science:

• Plant biochemistry
• Metabolomics
• Analytical chemistry

Background:

• Carotenoid oxidative cleavage products (apocarotenoids; APOs) are specialized metabolites with critical biological functions.
• APOs serve as precursors for plant hormones (abscisic acid, strigolactones), pigments (crocin, picrocrocin), and volatiles (β-ionone, β-cyclocitral).
• Recently identified APOs like zaxinone and retinal act as plant root growth regulators, highlighting their significance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an efficient protocol for the simultaneous analysis of plant APOs.
• To provide practical guidance for researchers conducting APO extraction and analysis.
• To facilitate the elucidation of APO biological functions, metabolism, and quantification in food.

Main Methods:

• Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) for separation.
• Tandem mass spectrometry (MS) for detection and identification.
• Development of a comprehensive protocol for simultaneous APO analysis.

Main Results:

• An efficient protocol for simultaneous analysis of plant APOs was established.
• The protocol integrates UPLC separation with MS detection for robust analysis.
• Practical details for experimental setup, extraction, and analysis were provided.

Conclusions:

• The developed UPLC-MS protocol enables efficient simultaneous analysis of plant APOs.
• This method is crucial for understanding APOs' biological roles and metabolic pathways.
• Accurate APO quantification is essential for food quality assessment and research.