Effect of glycinebetaine on metabolite profiles of cold-stored strawberry revealed by 1H NMR-based metabolomics.

Glycinebetaine (GB) has long been used as a preservative for refrigerated fruits, but the effect of GB on the global metabolites of cold-stored strawberries is still unclear. In this study, the effects of exogenous application of GB on quality-related metabolites of cold-stored strawberries were investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomic analysis. The results showed that the application of GB (especially at the concentration of 10 mM) on cold-stored strawberries effectively stabilized the sugars (d-xylose and d-glucose) and amino acids (tyrosine, leucine, and tryptophan) content, and lowered the acid (acetic acid) content as well. Additionally, the GB content in strawberries also increased. This implies that the appropriate concentration of GB is a natural and safe treatment, which could maintain the quality of cold-stored strawberries by regulating levels of quality-related metabolites, and the ingestion of GB-preserved strawberries may serve as a source of methyl-donor supplementation in our daily diet.

Detection of two orchid viruses using quartz crystal microbalance-based DNA biosensors.

ABSTRACT We have developed a piezoelectric DNA-sensor based on DNA-RNA hybridization for the detection of two orchid viruses, Cymbidium mosaic virus (CymMV) and Odontoglossum ringspot virus (ORSV). Specific oligonucleotide probes modified with a mercaptohexyl group at the 5'-phosphate end were directly immobilized onto 10-MHz AT-cut quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). QCMs coated with such oligonucleotide probes were exposed to test solutions containing viral RNA for hybridization. Various experimental conditions evaluated were (i) DNA probe coating concentration, (ii) sensitivity and specificity of the probes at different hybridization temperatures, and (iii) effects of incubation temperature on the hybridization time. The specific nucleotide probe-coated QCM-based DNA sensors were able to detect both CymMV and ORSV in quantities as low as approximately 1 ng in purified RNA preparations and 10 ng in the crude sap of infected orchids. This is the first application of a DNA biosensor for the detection of plant viruses.