Name: using capillary electrophoresis to quantify organic acids from plant tissue: a test case examining coffea arabica seeds
Uploaded: 2016-11-12T14:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Using Capillary Electrophoresis to Quantify Organic Acids from Plant Tissue: A Test Case Examining Coffea arabica Seeds at JoVE.com

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support of this project by The J.M. Smucker company.

1. Sample Preparation
<ol>
	<li>Assemble samples for short chain carboxylic acid (SCCA) extraction. Prepare 1.0 g of coffee seed at a time to ensure that enough sample will remain after processing.
	<ol>
		<li>If samples were frozen prior to the grinding process, keep the tissue frozen throughout processing to prevent freeze/thaw damage and sample oxidation. Remove the sample from the freezer or sub-zero storage only as needed for grinding.</li>
		<li>Flash freeze fresh samples in liquid nitrogen immediately prior to s...

<ol>
	<li>Ara&#250;jo, W. L., Nunes-Nesi, A., Nikoloski, Z., Sweetlove, L. J., Fernie, A. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Metabolic+Control+and+Regulation+of+the+Tricarboxylic+Acid+Cycle+in+Photosynthetic+and+Heterotrophic+Plant+Tissues:+TCA+Control+and+Regulation+in+Plant+Tissues.">Metabolic Control and Regulation of the Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle in Photosynthetic and Heterotrophic Plant Tissues: TCA Control and Regulation in Plant Tissues.</a> Plant Cell Environ. 35 (1), 1-21 (2012).</li><li>Finkemeier, I., Konig, A. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Transcriptomic+Analysis+of+the+Role+of+Carboxylic+Acids+in+Metabolite+Signaling+in+Arabidopsis+Leaves.">Transcriptomic Analysis of the Role of Carboxylic Acids in Metabolite Signaling in Arabidopsis Leaves.</a> Plant Physiol. 162 (1), 239-253 (2013).</li><li>Doyle, M. P., Buchanan, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Food Microbiology: Fundamentals and Frontiers. , (2013).</li><li>T&#367;ma, P., Samcov&#225;, E., &#352;tul&#236;k, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Determination+of+the+Spectrum+of+Low+Molecular+Mass+Organic+Acids+in+Urine+by+Capillary+Electrophoresis+with+Contactless+Conductivity+and+Ultraviolet+Photometric+Detection-An+Efficient+Tool+for+Monitoring+of+Inborn+Metabolic+Disorders.">Determination of the Spectrum of Low Molecular Mass Organic Acids in Urine by Capillary Electrophoresis with Contactless Conductivity and Ultraviolet Photometric Detection-An Efficient Tool for Monitoring of Inborn Metabolic Disorders.</a> Anal Chim Acta. 685 (1), 84-90 (2011).</li><li>L&#243;pez-Bucio, J., Nieto-Jacobo, M. F., Ram&#305;&#769;rez-Rodr&#305;&#769;guez, V., Herrera-Estrella, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Organic+Acid+Metabolism+in+Plants:+From+Adaptive+Physiology+to+Transgenic+Varieties+for+Cultivation+in+Extreme+Soils.">Organic Acid Metabolism in Plants: From Adaptive Physiology to Transgenic Varieties for Cultivation in Extreme Soils.</a> Plant Sci. 160 (1), 1-13 (2000).</li><li>Cebolla-Cornejo, J., Valc&#225;rcel, M., Herrero-Mart&#236;nez, J. M., Rosell&#242;, S., Nuez, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High+Efficiency+Joint+CZE+Determination+of+Sugars+and+Acids+in+Vegetables+and+Fruits:+CE+and+CEC.">High Efficiency Joint CZE Determination of Sugars and Acids in Vegetables and Fruits: CE and CEC.</a> Electrophoresis. 33 (15), 2416-2423 (2012).</li><li>Rosello, S., Galiana-Balaguer, L., Herrero-Martinez, J. M., Maquieira, A., Nuez, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Simultaneous+Quantification+of+the+Main+Organic+Acids+and+Carbohydrates+Involved+in+Tomato+Flavour+Using+Capillary+Zone+Electrophoresis.">Simultaneous Quantification of the Main Organic Acids and Carbohydrates Involved in Tomato Flavour Using Capillary Zone Electrophoresis.</a> J Sci Food Agr. 82 (10), 1101-1106 (2002).</li><li>Wasielewska, M., Banel, A., Zygmunt, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Capillary+Electrophoresis+in+Determination+of+Low+Molecular+Mass+Organic+Acids.">Capillary Electrophoresis in Determination of Low Molecular Mass Organic Acids.</a> Int J Environ Sci Dev. 5 (4), 417-425 (2014).</li><li>Galli, V., Garc&#236;a, A., Saavedra, L., Barbas, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Capillary+Electrophoresis+for+Short-Chain+Organic+Acids+and+Inorganic+Anions+in+Different+Samples.">Capillary Electrophoresis for Short-Chain Organic Acids and Inorganic Anions in Different Samples.</a> Electrophoresis. 24 (1213), 1951-1981 (2003).</li><li>Klampfl, C. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Determination+of+Organic+Acids+by+CE+and+CEC+Methods.">Determination of Organic Acids by CE and CEC Methods.</a> Electrophoresis. 28 (19), 3362-3378 (2007).</li><li>Kenney, B. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Determination+of+Organic+Acids+in+Food+Samples+by+Capillary+Electrophoresis.">Determination of Organic Acids in Food Samples by Capillary Electrophoresis.</a> J Chromatogr A. 546, 423-430 (1991).</li><li>Galli, V., Barbas, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Capillary+Electrophoresis+for+the+Analysis+of+Short-Chain+Organic+Acids+in+Coffee.">Capillary Electrophoresis for the Analysis of Short-Chain Organic Acids in Coffee.</a> J Chromatogr A. 1032 (1-2), 299-304 (2004).</li><li>Schmitt-Kopplin, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Capillary+Electrophoresis:+Methods+and+Protocols.">Capillary Electrophoresis: Methods and Protocols.</a> Methods in Molecular Biology. , 384 (2008).</li><li>Nollet, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Chromatographic analysis of the environment 3rd ed. , (2006).</li><li>. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> ElixerOA Organic Acids/Anions Operating and Instruction Manual, MicroSolv Technology Corperation. , (2001).</li><li>Dahlen, J., Hagberg, J., Karlsson, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Analysis+of+low+molecular+weight+organic+acids+in+water+with+capillary+zone+electrophoresis+employing+indirect+photometric+detection.">Analysis of low molecular weight organic acids in water with capillary zone electrophoresis employing indirect photometric detection.</a> Fresenius J. Anal. Chem. 366 (5), 488-493 (2000).</li><li>Ibanez, A. B., Bauer, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Analytical+method+for+the+determination+of+organic+acids+in+dilute+acid+pretreated+biomass+hydrolysate+by+liquid+chromatography-time-of-flight+mass+spectroscopy.">Analytical method for the determination of organic acids in dilute acid pretreated biomass hydrolysate by liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectroscopy.</a> Biotech. For Biofuels. 7 (145), (2014).</li></ol>

As with any analytical technique, there are several critical factors that can significantly impact the quality and reliability of the data generated. First, it is important to process samples efficiently, with a minimum of freeze/thaw cycles. Repeated freezing and thawing can compromise the chemical composition of the sample before processing or analysis. Second, it is critical to apply the steps of this protocol to all samples consistently and evenly. Technical errors arising from inconsistent sample preparation and han...

Carboxylic acids are organic compounds containing one or more terminal carboxyl functional groups, each attached to an R-group containing one or more carbons (R-C[O]OH). Short chain, low molecular weight carboxylic acids (short chain carboxylic acids, SCCAs) containing between one and six carbons, are essential components of cellular respiration, and function in several biochemical pathways necessary for cell growth and development. SCCAs play critical roles in cellular metabolism1, cell signaling2, and organismal responses to the environment (such as antibiosis3). Because of this, SCCAs can serve as useful indicators of disruptions to cellular metabolism, plant stress responses4,5, and fruit quality6,7. To date, SCCAs have been quantified primarily through chromatographic techniques such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). While these methods, are capable of achieving very low limits of detection, they can be expensive, require the derivatization of target SCCAs using caustic and/or toxic reagents, and include lengthy separation runs on the GC or HPLC. Because of this, interest in the use of free zonal capillary electrophoresis (CZE), which does not require sample derivatization, to quantify organic acids has steadily increased8.
Free zonal capillary electrophoresis (CZE) is a chromatographic separation methodology that, due to its high number of theoretical plates, speed, and relative ease-of-use, is increasingly replacing both GC-MS and high-pressure liquid chromatography as an analytical method for the quantification (particularly for quality control purposes) of anions, cations, amino acids, carbohydrates, and short chain carboxylic acids (SCCAs)8,9,10. CZE-based separation of small molecules, including SCCAs, is based two primary principles: the electrophoretic movement of charged ions in an electrical field established across the buffer filling the capillary; and the electro-osmotic movement of the entire buffer system from one end of the capillary to the other, generally towards the negative electrode. In this system, small molecules move towards the negative electrode at varying speeds, with the speed of each molecule determined by the ratio of the net charge of the molecule to the molecular mass. As the movement of each individual molecule in this system is dependent on the charge state of the molecule and the overall rate of electro-osmotic flow (which is itself based on the ion content of the buffer used to fill the capillary), the buffer pH and ionic composition heavily impact the degree to which molecules can be efficiently separated using CZE. Because of this, SCCAs, with their relatively high charge-to-mass ratios, are ideal targets for CZE-based separation. Metabolites separated using CZE can be detected using a variety of methods, including UV absorbance, spectral absorbance (which is generally performed using a photo-diode array [PDA]), and/or mass spectroscopy (CE-MS or CE-MS/MS)8. The diversity of separation and detection methods provided by CZE makes it an extremely flexible and adaptable technique. Because of this, CZE has been increasingly applied as a standard method of analysis in the areas of food safety and quality11,12, pharmaceutical research13, and environmental monitoring13,14. 
Capillary electrophoresis has been used to detect and quantify short chain carboxylic acids for nearly two decades13. The resolving power (particularly for small, charged molecules), short run time, and low per sample cost of CZE analyses make CZE an ideal technique for the separation and quantification of SCCAs13. This method presents a protocol to utilize CZE to measure the concentration of organic acids from plant tissues. Example data was generated through the successful implementation of this protocol to measure the change in organic acid levels in coffee seeds following a secondary fermentation treatment. The protocol details the critical steps and common errors of CZE-based separation of SCCAs, and discusses the means by which this protocol can be successfully applied to quantify SCCAs in additional plant tissues.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="782">
	<colgroup>
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
	</colgroup>
	<tbody>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:296px;">Ceramic Moarter and Pestle</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Coorstek</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">60310</td>
			<td style="width:247px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:296px;">Beckman Coulter P/ACE MDQ CE system</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Beckman Coulter</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Various</td>
			<td style="width:247px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:296px;">Glass sample vials</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Fisher Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">033917D</td>
			<td style="width:247px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:296px;">1.5 ml microcentrifuge tubes&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Fisher Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">02-681-5</td>
			<td style="width:247px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="38">
			<td height="38" style="height:38px;width:296px;">LC/MS grade water</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Fisher Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">W6-1</td>
			<td style="width:247px;">Milli-Q water (18.2 M&#937;.cm) is also acceptable</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:296px;">15 ml glass tube/ Teflon lined cap&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Fisher Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">14-93331A</td>
			<td style="width:247px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:296px;">Parafilm M</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Fisher Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">13-374-12</td>
			<td style="width:247px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:296px;">CElixirOA detection Kit pH 5.4&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">MicroSolv</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">06100-5.4</td>
			<td style="width:247px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:296px;">BD Safety-Lok syringes</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Fisher Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">14-829-32</td>
			<td style="width:247px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:296px;">17 mm Target Syringe filter, PTFE</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Fisher Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">3377154</td>
			<td style="width:247px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:296px;">32 Karat, V. 8.0 control software</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Beckman Coulter</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">285512</td>
			<td style="width:247px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:296px;">capillary electrophoresis (CE) sample vials&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Beckman Coulter</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">144980</td>
			<td style="width:247px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:296px;">caps for CE vials&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Beckman Coulter</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">144648</td>
			<td style="width:247px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="38">
			<td height="38" style="height:38px;width:296px;">Liquid Nitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">N/A</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">N/A</td>
			<td style="width:247px;">Liquid nitrogen is available from most facilities services</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

using capillary electrophoresis to quantify organic acids from plant tissue: a test case examining coffea arabica seeds

Carboxylic acids are organic acids containing one or more terminal carboxyl (COOH) functional groups. Short chain carboxylic acids (SCCAs; carboxylic acids containing three to six carbons), such as malate and citrate, are critical to the proper functioning of many biological systems, where they function in cellular respiration and can serve as indicators of cell health. In foods, organic acid content can have significant impact on taste, with increased SCCA levels resulting in a sour or &#34;acid&#34; taste. Because of this, methods for the rapid analysis of organic acid levels are of particular interest to the food and beverage industries. Unfortunately, however, most methods used for SCCA quantification are dependent on time-consuming protocols requiring the derivatization of samples with hazardous reagents, followed by costly chromatographic and/or mass spectrometric analyses. This method details an alternate method for the detection and quantification of organic acids from plant material and food samples using free zonal capillary electrophoresis (CZE), sometimes simply referred to as capillary electrophoresis (CE). CZE provides a cost-effective method for measuring SCCAs with a low limit of detection (0.005 mg/ml). This article details the extraction and quantification of SCCAs from plant samples. While the method provided focuses on measurement of SCCAs from coffee beans, the method provided can be applied to multiple plant-based food materials.

This protocol has been successfully utilized to measure the effects of seed treatments on the SCCA content of green coffee seeds. In this experiment, the six treatments were: a saturated microbial suspension of Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides strain GCP674 in its growth medium (1), an aqueous suspension of GCP674 microbes in water (2), an aqueous solution of acetic and lactic acids (0.15 and 0.4 mg/ml respectively) (3), a spent M1 growth medium treatment (4), dH2O wate...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Using Capillary Electrophoresis to Quantify Organic Acids from Plant Tissue: A Test Case Examining Coffea arabica Seeds at JoVE.com

Using Capillary Electrophoresis to Quantify Organic Acids from Plant Tissue: A Test Case Examining Coffea arabica Seeds

This article presents a method for the detection and quantification of organic acids from plant material using free zonal capillary electrophoresis. An example of the potential application of this method, determining the effects of a secondary fermentation on organic acid levels in coffee seeds, is provided.

Using Capillary Electrophoresis to Quantify Organic Acids from Plant Tissue: A Test Case Examining Coffea arabica Seeds

Carboxylic acids are organic acids containing one or more terminal carboxyl (COOH) functional groups. Short chain carboxylic acids (SCCAs; carboxylic ...

Research

JoVE Journal

Chemistry

Qualitative Identification of Carboxylic Acids, Boronic Acids, and Amines Using Cruciform Fluorophores

Molecular cruciforms are X-shaped systems in which two conjugation axes intersect at a central core. If one axis of these molecules is substituted with ...

Thin-layer Chromatographic (TLC) Separations and Bioassays of Plant Extracts to Identify Antimicrobial Compounds

Thin-layer Chromatographic TLC Separations and Bioassays of Plant Extracts to Identify Antimicrobial Compounds

A common screen for plant antimicrobial compounds consists of separating plant extracts by paper or thin-layer chromatography (PC or TLC), exposing the ...

The Use of Gas Chromatography to Analyze Compositional Changes of Fatty Acids in Rat Liver Tissue during Pregnancy

Gas chromatography (GC) is a highly sensitive method used to identify and quantify the fatty acid content of lipids from tissues, cells, and plasma/serum, ...

Analysis of Volatile and Oxidation Sensitive Compounds Using a Cold Inlet System and Electron Impact Mass Spectrometry

This video presents a protocol for the mass spectrometrical analysis of volatile and oxidation sensitive compounds using electron impact ionization. The ...

Synthesis and Characterization of Functionalized Metal-organic Frameworks

Metal-organic frameworks have attracted extraordinary amounts of research attention, as they are attractive candidates for numerous industrial and ...

Capillary Electrophoresis to Monitor Peptide Grafting onto Chitosan Films in Real Time

Free-solution capillary electrophoresis (CE) separates analytes, generally charged compounds in solution through the application of an electric field. ...

Grafting Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes with Polystyrene to Enable Self-Assembly and Anisotropic Patchiness

We demonstrate a straightforward protocol to graft pristine multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with polystyrene (PS) chains at the sidewalls through a ...

Using Cyclic Voltammetry, UV-Vis-NIR, and EPR Spectroelectrochemistry to Analyze Organic Compounds

Cyclic voltammetry (CV) is a technique used in the analysis of organic compounds. When this technique is combined with electron paramagnetic resonance ...

Microprobe Capillary Electrophoresis Mass Spectrometry for Single-cell Metabolomics in Live Frog (Xenopus laevis) Embryos

Microprobe Capillary Electrophoresis Mass Spectrometry for Single-cell Metabolomics in Live Frog Xenopus laevis Embryos

The quantification of small molecules in single cells raises new potentials for better understanding the basic processes that underlie embryonic ...

Microfluidic Preparation of Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Actuators

This paper focuses on the microfluidic process (and its parameters) to prepare actuating particles from liquid crystalline elastomers. The preparation ...