Institut für ökologische Chemie, Pflanzenanalytik und Vorratsschutz
Plant metabolism generates a vast diversity of low molecular weight compounds. These so-called metabolites are involved in basic metabolic processes (primary metabolism), which are required for maintaining the vital function and reproduction of plant cells. Additionally, secondary metabolism produces specialized metabolites which play a role in plant adaption to abiotic and biotic environmental factors. In contrast to primary metabolism, the products of secondary metabolism vary among species und subspecies and are characterized by a high chemical diversity. Moreover, a large part of plant secondary metabolites has not been structurally characterized so far. To investigate the influence of genetic and environmental factors on the metabolic profile of a plant tissue or organ powerful analytical methods on basis of mass spectrometry are required, which allow both qualitative (structural) and quantitative analyses of a broad spectrum of metabolites. In the frame of this project analytical methods on basis of ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC/ESI-QTOFMS) will be developed, which allow comprehensive metabolite profiling of selected crop plants (e. g. oil seed rape, potato, wheat, mustard, onion) and wild plants (e. g. Barbarea vulgaris, Zataria multiflora, Glycyrrhiza spp.). Therefore, standard operating procedures will be established for sampling, sample storage, sample homogenization as well as extraction, chromatographic separation and mass spectral detection. In addition, a selection of abundant primary and secondary metabolites will be characterized by retention time, elemental composition and collision-induced dissociation mass spectra. The obtained analytical data will be cataloged in a database.
Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture
