In Vivo Contaminant Monitoring and Metabolomic Profiling in Plants Exposed to Carbamates via a Novel Microextraction Fiber

In this study, a biocompatible solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) fiber with high-coverage capture capacity based on a nitrogen-rich porous polyaminal was developed. The fiber was used to track the bioaccumulation and elimination of carbamates (isoprocarb, carbofuran, and carbaryl) and their metabolites (o-cumenol, carbofuran phenol, and 1-naphthalenol) in living Chinese cabbage plants (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino (var. communis Tsen et Lee)). A case-and-control model was applied in the hydroponically cultured plants, with the exposed plant groups contaminated under three carbamates at 5 mu g mL(-1). Both bio-enrichment and elimination of carbamates and their metabolites in living plants appeared to be very fast with half-lives at similar to 0.39-0.79 and similar to 0.56-0.69 days, respectively. Statistical differences in the endogenous plant metabolome occurred on day 3 of carbamate exposure. In the exposed group, the plant metabolic alterations were not reversed after 5 days of contaminant-free growth, although most contaminates had been eliminated. Compared with prior nutriological and toxicological studies, >50 compounds were first identified as endogenous metabolites in cabbage plants. The contents of the glucosinolate-related metabolites demonstrated significant time-dependent dysregulations that the fold changes of these key metabolites decreased from 0.78-1.07 to 0.28-0.82 during carbamate exposure. To summarize, in vivo SPME provided new and important information regarding exogenous carbamate contamination and related metabolic dysregulation in plants.

Automated summary

The study developed a biocompatible SPME fiber for tracking the bioaccumulation and elimination of carbamates and their metabolites in plants. The results showed rapid changes in plant metabolism after exposure to carbamates, which were not fully reversed even after the contaminants were eliminated.