Metabolic profiling is the measurement of low-molecular weight metabolites and
their intermediates in any biological function that directs the dynamic response to
genetic modification, physiological responses, pathophysiological responses, and/or
developmental stimuli. The measurement and interpretation of the endogenous metabolite
profile from a biological sample (typically urine, serum, or biological tissue extract) have
provided many opportunities to investigate the changes induced by external stimuli (e.g., drug
treatment) or to enhance the knowledge of inherent biological variation within sub-populations.
This article will focus on the basic principles of metabolic profiling and its tools (nuclear
magnetic resonance [NMR], liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry [LC-MS]) which can
be applied in toxicological and pathological pathways in a biological system of citrus infected
with Huanglongbing. Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) is the most destructive disease of citrus
worldwide. It is a fast-growing, alphaproto-bacterial disease, which can spread within a tree in
one year. The major symptoms of HLB include yellowing leaves with vein yellowing, inedible,
small fruits, which remain green. HLB-infected fruits drop from the affiliated trees. Seeds are
usually aborted, and fruit is bitter in taste. Metabolomic techniques are based on extraction,
separation, and quantification methods were developed to find potential HLB biomarkers in leaves from orange trees from commercial groves. Flavonoids and their derivatives such as
naringenin, hesperidin and quercetin, as well as the amino acid, L-proline were significantly
increased in HLB-affected citrus trees. Conversely, sesquiterpenes ?-elemene, (-) transcaryophyllene,
and ?-humulene were significantly decreased in HLB samples when compared to
healthy and zinc deficient trees.
Keywords: Metabolomics, LC-MS, NMR, Huanglongbing, Flavonoids
https://ijbpas.com/pdf/2019/November/MS_IJBPAS_2019_4818.pdf
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https://doi.org/10.31032/IJBPAS/2019/8.10.4818
