Quantification of karrikins in smoke water using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography\u2013tandem mass spectrometry

Manoj Kulkarni,Ondřej Novák,Jakub Hrdlička,Shubhpriya Gupta,Johannes van Staden,Tomáš Gucký,Karel Doležal

doi:10.1186/s13007-019-0467-z

Abstract

BackgroundKarrikins (KARs) are plant growth regulators that promote seed germination and the subsequent growth and development of seedlings of many plant species. In nature they are generated and released by combustion of plant material and promote the restoration of burned ecosystems. Smoke water can be artificially prepared as a saturated extract of all substances in smoke produced by burning plants, and it has various horticultural and agricultural applications.ResultsWe have developed, validated and applied the first fast, specific and sensitive method, based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, for quantifying KARs in smoke water. To assist these efforts and further analyses, standards of the main KARs (which are not commercially available) were synthesized. Due to the complex matrix of smoke waters, two quantification approaches (standard dilution with a structural KAR analogue and standard addition) were compared. The standard addition method allowed absolute quantification of KARs in six of eight smoke water samples of diverse origins and ages.ConclusionsOur findings reveal differences in both total and relative levels of KARs in smoke water, and indicate that differences in its KAR composition may be linked to variations in its bioactivity.

Highlights

Karrikins (KARs) are plant growth regulators that promote seed germination and the subsequent growth and development of seedlings of many plant species
Preparation of karrikin standards Karrikins are difficult to analyse because they occur in very low concentrations in smoke water, especially in the diluted preparations used in practical applications
Further stereoselective HornerWadsworth-Emmons olefination of ketone (2) with triethylphosphonoacetate was followed by cyclization to (4R,7R)-4,7-dihydroxy-4,5,7,7a-tetrahydro-furo[2,3-c] pyran-2-one (3) and two-step elimination through bisethoxycarbonyloxy intermediate afforded butenolide

Summary

Introduction

Karrikins (KARs) are plant growth regulators that promote seed germination and the subsequent growth and development of seedlings of many plant species. In nature they are generated and released by combustion of plant material and promote the restoration of burned ecosystems. Wildfires burn large areas of forests in Australia, South Africa and North America. Following these fires, some species of plants, called fire-followers, rapidly germinate, grow, flower and produce new plants. The first group studied cellulose-derived smoke (from combustion of filter paper) and elucidated

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