Plant Metabolite Profiling

The science for the profiling and characterization of metabolites is called Metabolomics. Plant metabolites are small organic molecules that produced by protein catalysis. Studies of plant metabolites can provide valuable information regarding the plant biosynthetic and catabolic pathways, and are therefore very important for understanding the physiological and biochemical regulations of plant cells. Further, as plant metabolites are direct indicators of plant performance, they can potentially guide the selection and development of biochemical markers, providing valuable tools for the improvement of plant agronomic traits.

A standard workflow for plant metabolite profiling starts with extraction of metabolites from samples, followed by qualitative or quantitative characterizations of the metabolite components (Figure 1). Lifeasible, as a leading plant biotechnology company, have years of experience with the plant metabolite profiling techniques. We not only provide optimized protocols for sample preparation, but also have advanced analytical technologies for metabolite profiling.

Figure 1. The workflow for plant metabolite profiling (Seger and Sturm 2007).

Methods for sample extraction:

Lifeasible provides optimized workflows for the preparation of samples from different recourses, such as leaves, roots, fruits, stems and so on. Depending on sample types, the analytical technologies to be used, as well as specific project objectives, a broad variety of solvent systems, solid phases and sample treatment conditions will be applied.

Methods for metabolites identification and quantification:

• Mass Spectrometry (MS). With the advantages of superior sensitivity, information richness, high efficiency and technical robustness, MS is the most popular approach for both qualitative and quantitative metabolite analysis. MS is usually performed following chromatography-based separation of analytes:
• Gas-liquid Chromatography (GC)-MS.
• High-pressure Liquid chromatography (HPLC)-MS.
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR). NMR is another predominant tool for the detection of plant metabolites, as it allows precise structural characterization of small organic compounds. Depending on the complexity of metabolite composition, and specific resolution requirements, we can perform both one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR experiments for you.

With outstanding expertise in plant biochemistry and plant biotechnology, we proudly provide featured one-stop services that cover every step of your experiment, including:

• Sample extraction
• Data collection
• Data quality control and curation
• Data analysis, biological interpretation and consulting

Our excellent team of plant scientists, biochemists and data scientists will also work closely with you for experimental design, trouble-shooting and data interpretation. Welcome to contact us for inquiries, questions or collaborations.