Metabolomic Study of Water Hyacinth Exposed to CuCI2, FeCI3, Na2HPO4 Solution by GC-MS

Abstract

It is generally accepted that water hyacinth is capable of adsorbing excessive heavy metals, but the metal adsorption mechanism in the metabolic level is unknown. In this study, the water hyacinth plants were cultured in 0.3 mmol FeCl3, 1.2 mmol CuCl2 and 3.46 mmol Na2HPO4 solution for 15 days, respectively. The metabolic profiles of roots, stems and leaves of water hyacinth were determined by GC-MS and further analyzed by PCA method. Results showed that plants suffered severe damage under FeCl3 exposure but were tolerable to Na2HPO4 exposure. Metabolites levels in stems and leaves increased but decreased in roots under CuCl2 exposure. Leaves and stems of the four differently treated plants could be distinctly separated in three-dimensional PCA, while roots could only be separated between control group and the treated groups individually by two-dimensional PCA. Levels of D-glucopyranose, L-threonine, Butanoic acid and 9H-Purin-6-amine significantly increased in treated plants and acted as osmoprotectants. This study provided an overall perspective of metabolites change in water hyacinth for mechanism of metal accumulation.