Abstract:

A metabolite profiling approach based on ¹H NMR was used to investigate time-dependent metabolic changes during Ganoderma boninense (Gb) infection in oil palm leaf samples. Leaf samples taken in every month starting from 3 month old seedlings were flashed frozen in liquid nitrogen at sampling site and were later subjected to grinding, extraction in CD₃OD + 0.05%(v/v) TMS and filtration procedures to obtain less polar metabolites. Using biostatistical analysis, differences between non-Gb inoculated and Gb inoculated samples were found to be insignificant, similarly with the phenotypic observation for both. However, disease progression analysis indicated the up-regulation of amino acid compounds such as 2-aminobutyrate, carnitine, glutamate and O-acetylcarnitine and down regulation of sugar and some organic acid compounds throughout the 5 months post infection (mpi). Further understanding of each compound related to plant disease signaling is under investigation.