High-throughput analytical techniques to screen plant transgenics

Abstract

Analytical chemistry plays a vital role in the screening of marker compounds in transgenic plants. A transgenic plant, due to the introduction of a new trait, possesses a different chemical composition, from the naturally occurring population, which needs a systematic evaluation to quantify one or more marker compounds. Advancement in the analytical technique aids the high-throughput screening of plant metabolites in large number with less time. Sample preparation is an important task prior to the analysis, which focuses the enrichment of marker compound in the extract having a complex mixture of plant metabolites. Selection of appropriate extraction method based on the target compound and analysis is essential for the biological or chemical assays. Hyphenation of liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) with mass spectrometry (MS) employs the separation and identification of transgenic plant metabolites in real time. High-resolution mass spectrometry imaging, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy are the other spectroscopic techniques which are widely used for the screening of new plant metabolites. The chapter “High-throughput analytical techniques to screen plant transgenics” highlights the recent developments on the screening of transgenic plants including the sample preparation, analysis, interpretation, and elucidation of the structure of plant metabolites with future prospective.