Division of Pharmacognosy, Section Metabolomics, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands.
J Agric Food Chem. 2011 Apr 13;59(7):3155-61. doi: 10.1021/jf104422m. Epub 2011 Mar 4.
Narcissus bulbs contain the biologically active alkaloid galanthamine, and Narcissus is being developed as a natural source of the molecule for the pharmaceutical industry. The effect of fertilizer on galanthamine production was investigated in a field study using a (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolite profiling approach. Galanthamine was quantitated and major metabolites in the bulbs were identified. The application of standard fertilization levels of nitrogen and potassium caused a significant increase in galanthamine as compared to a control. Multivariate data analysis of the (1)H NMR data revealed that applying double the standard level of nitrogen fertilizer resulted in production of more amino acids and citric acid cycle intermediates, but not more galanthamine. The results indicated that standard levels of fertilizer currently applied in The Netherlands are sufficient for optimal galanthamine accumulation in the bulbs. This study shows how (1)H NMR-based metabolic profiling can provide insight into the response of plant metabolism to agricultural practices.
水仙鳞茎含有生物活性生物碱加兰他敏，水仙正被开发为制药行业天然来源的分子。采用（1）H 核磁共振（NMR）代谢物分析方法，在田间研究中考察了肥料对加兰他敏生产的影响。定量测定了加兰他敏，并鉴定了鳞茎中的主要代谢物。与对照相比，施用标准氮、钾施肥水平显著增加了加兰他敏的含量。（1）H NMR 数据分析的多元分析表明，施用两倍于标准水平的氮肥会导致更多的氨基酸和柠檬酸循环中间产物的产生，但不会增加更多的加兰他敏。结果表明，目前在荷兰应用的标准肥料水平足以使鳞茎中加兰他敏的积累达到最佳水平。本研究表明，基于（1）H NMR 的代谢组学分析如何为植物代谢对农业实践的响应提供深入了解。
