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Metabolomics analysis of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) leaf: evaluation of sample preparation steps using UHPLC–MS/MS

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Abstract

Introduction

Metabolomics analysis of oil palm leaves is a promising strategy to prospect new added-value compounds of this underutilized oil industry by-product. Although previous studies had reported some metabolites identified in this matrix, they had been focused on few compounds using conventional analytical techniques.

Objectives

This study aimed to develop a new high throughput method based on metabolomics able to detect a wide range of metabolites classes in Elaeis guineensis leaves. Furthermore, we investigate the effects caused by harvesting/sample preparation steps for the metabolites identification.

Method

Metabolites analyses were performed by ultra-high liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS) using both ionization modes, ESI(+)–MS and ESI(−)–MS. ANOVA simultaneous component analysis (ASCA) of the resulting complex multivariate dataset was applied to evaluate metabolic alterations. Identification of major metabolites was performed by high resolution mass spectrometry and MS/MS experiments.

Result

A high throughput method based on UHPLC–MS was successfully developed to E. guineensis leaves, detecting from polar to non-polar acid and basic metabolites. According to ASCA, oil palm leaves metabolic fingerprintings have shown influence of transportation/storage and extraction solvent used chosen. In fact, the most significant effect is due to the solvent composition. A total of thirteen metabolites were assigned based on HRMS and MS/MS experiments. However, only seven metabolites identified were previously reported, which represents a potential field to discover new metabolites.

Conclusion

Sample preparation steps should be carefully performed in metabolomics studies, because metabolites will be extracted and identified based on transport and solvent of extraction conditions. In this study, we established a reliable analytical protocol, from sample preparation to data analyses, to prospect new metabolites in oil palm leaves. This protocol could be further applied to similar oil-bearing crops.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thanks The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), The Federal Foundation for the Brazilian Research and Development (FINEP), Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPQ) for the financial support. The authors thank Daniel Nogoceke Sifuentes for his technical support.

Funding

This study was funded by FINEP — Project “DENDEPALM—Estratégias genômicas e agregação de valor para a cadeia produtiva do dendê” (Grant Number 0 1 13 0315 00).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Embrapa Agroenergy, W3 Norte, PqEB, Brasília, DF, 70770-901, Brazil

      Luiz Henrique Galli Vargas, Jorge Candido Rodrigues Neto, José Antônio de Aquino Ribeiro, Maria Esther Ricci-Silva, Manoel Teixeira Souza Jr, Clenilson Martins Rodrigues & Patrícia Verardi Abdelnur

    2. Federal University of Lavras, University Campus, PO Box 3037, Lavras, MG, 37200-000, Brazil

      Luiz Henrique Galli Vargas & Manoel Teixeira Souza Jr

    3. Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brazil

      Jorge Candido Rodrigues Neto, Anselmo Elcana de Oliveira & Patrícia Verardi Abdelnur

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    1. Luiz Henrique Galli Vargas
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    2. Jorge Candido Rodrigues Neto
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    3. José Antônio de Aquino Ribeiro
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    Correspondence to Patrícia Verardi Abdelnur.

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    Conflict of interest

    Luiz Henrique Galli Vargas, José Antônio de Aquino Ribeiro, Jorge Candido Rodrigues Neto, Maria Esther Ricci-Silva, Manoel Teixeira de Souza Júnior, Clenilson Martins Rodrigues, Anselmo Elcana de Oliveira and Patrícia Verardi Abdelnur declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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    This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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    Luiz Henrique Galli Vargas and Jorge Candido Rodrigues Neto have contributed equally to this manuscript.

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    Vargas, L.H.G., Neto, J.C.R., de Aquino Ribeiro, J.A. et al. Metabolomics analysis of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) leaf: evaluation of sample preparation steps using UHPLC–MS/MS. Metabolomics 12, 153 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11306-016-1100-z

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