Background:
Sago palm is an important agricultural starch-producing crop in Malaysia. The trunk of sago
palm is responsible for the production of the starch reaching maturity for harvesting after ten years. However, there are
sago palms that failed to develop its trunk after 17 years being planted. This is known as a stressed “non-trunking” sago
palm, which eliminates the economic value of the palms.
Objective:
The study was initiated to compare the differences in metabolite expression between trunking and non-trunking
sago palm and secondly to determine the potential metabolite-makers that are related to differential phenotypes of sago
palms.
Method:
Metabolites were extracted using various solvents and analysed using NMR spectroscopy and GC-MS
spectrometry. Data obtained were subjected to principal component analysis.
Results:
The study determined that differential metabolites expression were detected in the leaf extracts of normal
trunking sago palm compared to the non-trunking palms. Metabolite groups which are differently expressed between
trunking and non-trunking sago palm are oils and waxes, haloalkanes, sulfite esters, phosphonates, phosphoric acid,
thiophene ester, terpenes and tocopherols. GC-MS analysis of Jones & Kinghorn extraction method determined two sets
of metabolite markers which explains the differences in metabolites expression of trunking and non-trunking sago palm in
ethyl acetate and methanol extract of 89.55% comprising sulfurous ester compounds and 87.04% comprising sulfurous
ester, sulfurous acid and cyclohexylmethyl hexyl ester respectively.
Conclusion:
Two sets of metabolite markers were expressed in the trunking and non-trunking sago palm. These
metabolites can potentially be used as markers for identifying normal and stressed plants.
Studies on the Decomposition of Tryptophan by Sulfurous Acid Salts. II. : Isolation of Dehydroindigodi ulfite and its Structure
