Changes in urine headspace composition as an effect of strenuous walking.

The present investigation uses proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) combined with multivariate and univariate statistical analyses to study potential biomarkers for altered metabolism in urine due to strenuous walking. Urine samples, in concurrence with breath and blood samples, were taken from 51 participants (23 controls, 11 type-1 diabetes, 17 type-2 diabetes) during the Dutch endurance walking event, the International Four Days Marches. Multivariate analysis allowed for discrimination of before and after exercise for all three groups (control, type-1 and type-2 diabetes) and on three out of 4 days. The analysis highlighted 12 molecular ions contributing to this discrimination. Of these, acetic acid in urine is identified as a significant marker for exercise effects induced by walking; an increase is observed as an effect of walking. Analysis of acetone concentration with univariate tools resulted in different information when compared to breath as a function of exercise, revealing an interesting effect of time over the 4 days. In breath, acetone provides an immediate snapshot of metabolism, whereas urinary acetone will result from longer term diffusion processes, providing a time averaged view of metabolism. The potential to use PTR-MS measurements of urine to monitor exercise effects is exhibited, and may be utilized to monitor subjects in mass participation exercise events.

Breath acetone to monitor life style interventions in field conditions: an exploratory study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether breath acetone concentration can be used to monitor the effects of a prolonged physical activity on whole body lipolysis and hepatic ketogenesis in field conditions. METHODS: Twenty-three non-diabetic, 11 type 1 diabetic, and 17 type 2 diabetic subjects provided breath and blood samples for this study. Samples were collected during the International Four Days Marches, in the Netherlands. For each participant, breath acetone concentration was measured using proton transfer reaction ion trap mass spectrometry, before and after a 30-50 km walk on four consecutive days. Blood non-esterified free fatty acid (NEFA), beta-hydroxybutyrate (BOHB), and glucose concentrations were measured after walking. RESULTS: Breath acetone concentration was significantly higher after than before walking, and was positively correlated with blood NEFA and BOHB concentrations. The effect of walking on breath acetone concentration was repeatedly observed on all four consecutive days. Breath acetone concentrations were higher in type 1 diabetic subjects and lower in type 2 diabetic subjects than in control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Breath acetone can be used to monitor hepatic ketogenesis during walking under field conditions. It may, therefore, provide real-time information on fat burning, which may be of use for monitoring the lifestyle interventions.

Identification of volatile markers in potato brown rot and ring rot by combined GC-MS and PTR-MS techniques: study on in vitro and in vivo samples.

Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs) and Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus (Cms) are the bacterial causal agents of potato brown and ring rot, respectively, and are included in the A2 list of quarantine pathogens in Europe. Identification by GC-MS analysis of volatile organic compounds from Rs or Cms cultured on different nutrient media was performed. GC-MS and PTR-MS analysis were carried out also on unwounded potato tubers infected with the same pathogens. Infected tubers were produced by experimental inoculations of the plants. In in vitro experiments, Rs or Cms emitted volatile compounds, part of which were specific disease markers of potato (2-propanol and 3-methylbutanoic acid), mainly originating from bacterial metabolism (i.e., amino acid degradation, carbohydrate and fatty acid oxidation). In potato tubers, pathogen metabolism modified the volatile compound pattern emitted from healthy samples. Both bacteria seem to accelerate metabolic processes ongoing in potatoes and, in the case of Rs, disease markers (1-hepten-3-ol, 3,6-dimethyl-3-octanone, 3-ethyl-3-methylpentane, 1-chloroctane, and benzothiazole) were identified.

On-line detection of root-induced volatiles in Brassica nigra plants infested with Delia radicum L. root fly larvae.

Plants emit various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) upon herbivore attack. These VOC emissions often show temporal dynamics which may influence the behavior of natural enemies using these volatiles as cues. This study analyzes on-line VOC emissions by roots of Brassica nigra plants under attack by cabbage root fly larvae, Delia radicum. Root emitted VOCs were detected using Proton-Transfer-Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). These analyses showed that several sulfur containing compounds, such as methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide (DMS), dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS) and glucosinolate breakdown products, such as thiocyanates (TC) and isothiocyanates (ITC), were emitted by the roots in response to infestation. The emissions were subdivided into early responses, emerging within 1-6 h after infestation, and late responses, evolving only after 6-12 h. The marker for rapid responses was detected at m/z 60. The ion detected at m/z 60 was identified as thiocyanic acid, which is also a prominent fragment in some TC or ITC spectra. The emission of m/z 60 stopped when the larvae had pupated, which makes it an excellent indicator for actively feeding larvae. Methanethiol, DMS and DMDS levels increased much later in infested roots, indicating that activation of enzymes or genes involved in the production of these compounds may be required. Earlier studies have shown that both early and late responses can play a role in tritrophic interactions associated with Brassica species. Moreover, the identification of these root induced responses will help to design non-invasive analytical procedures to assess root infestations.

Real-time analysis of sulfur-containing volatiles in Brassica plants infested with root-feeding Delia radicum larvae using proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Plants damaged by herbivores emit a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Here we used proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) as a sensitive detection method for online analysis of herbivore-induced VOCs. Previously, it was found that Brassica nigra plants emit several sulfur-containing VOCs when attacked by cabbage root fly (Delia radicum) larvae with m/z 60 as a marker for the formation of allylisothiocyanate from the glucosinolate sinigrin. We tested the hypothesis that m/z 60 emission occurs only in plants with sinigrin in their roots. Additionally, we tested the hypothesis that methanethiol, dimethylsulfide and dimethyldisulfide are only emitted after larval infestation. METHODOLOGY: Proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometry was used to track sulfur-containing VOCs from six different species of Brassica over time. The roots were either artificially damaged or infested with cabbage root fly larvae. Glucosinolate profiles of the roots were analysed using high-pressure liquid chromatography and compared with VOC emissions. PRINCIPAL RESULTS: Brassica nigra, B. juncea and B. napus primarily emitted m/z 60 directly after artificial damage or root fly infestation. Sulfide and methanethiol emissions from B. nigra and B. juncea also increased after larval damage but much later (6-12 h after damage). Brassica rapa, B. oleracea and B. carinata principally emitted methanethiol after artificial and after larval damage. Brassica oleracea and B. carinata showed some increase in m/z 60 emission after larval damage. Comparison with root glucosinolate profiles revealed that sinigrin cannot be the only precursor for m/z 60. CONCLUSIONS: The principal compound emitted after root damage is determined by the plant species, and not by damage type or root glucosinolate composition. Once determined, the principal compounds may be used as markers for identifying damaged or infested plants. Further analyses of plant enzymes involved in the breakdown of sulfur compounds is needed to reveal the origin of sulfur-containing VOCs from plants.

Tracing hidden herbivores: time-resolved non-invasive analysis of belowground volatiles by proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS).

Root herbivores are notoriously difficult to study, as they feed hidden in the soil. However, root herbivores may be traced by analyzing specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are produced by damaged roots. These VOCs not only support parasitoids in the localization of their host, but also may help scientists study belowground plant-herbivore interactions. Herbivore-induced VOCs are usually analyzed by gas-chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), but with this off-line method, the gases of interest need to be preconcentrated, and destructive sampling is required to assess the level of damage to the roots. In contrast to this, proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) is a very sensitive on-line, non-invasive method. PTR-MS already has been successfully applied to analyze VOCs produced by aboveground (infested) plant parts. In this review, we provide a brief overview of PTR-MS and illustrate how this technology can be applied to detect specific root-herbivore induced VOCs from Brassica plants. We also specify the advantages and disadvantages of PTR-MS analyses and new technological developments to overcome their limitations.