Compositional analysis of Chinese water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis) cell-wall material from parenchyma, epidermis, and subepidermal tissues.
Chinese water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis (Burman f.) Trin ex Henschel) is a corm consumed globally in Oriental-style cuisine. The corm consists of three main tissues, the epidermis, subepidermis, and parenchyma; the cell walls of which were analyzed for sugar, phenolic, and lignin content. Sugar content, measured by gas chromatography, was higher in the parenchyma cell walls (931 μg/mg) than in the subepidermis (775 μg/mg) or epidermis (685 μg/mg). The alkali-extractable phenolic content, measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, was greater in the epidermal (32.4 μg/mg) and subepidermal cell walls (21.7 μg/mg) than in the cell walls of the parenchyma (12.3 μg/mg). The proportion of diferulic acids was higher in the parenchyma. The Klason lignin content of epidermal and subepidermal cell walls was ~15%. Methylation analysis of Chinese water chestnut cell-wall polysaccharides identified xyloglucan as the predominant hemicellulose in the parenchyma for the first time, and also a significant pectin component, similar to other nongraminaceous monocots.
Biorefinery Centre, Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UA, United Kingdom.
Terri
T
Grassby
Andrew J
AJ
Jay
Zara
Z
Merali
Mary L
ML
Parker
Adrian J
AJ
Parr
Craig B
CB
Faulds
Keith W
KW
Waldron
D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003373:Coumaric Acids / Q000032:analysis; D031256:Eleocharis / Q000737:chemistry*; D005936:Glucans / Q000032:analysis; D008031:Lignin / Q000032:analysis; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D010368:Pectins / Q000032:analysis; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D019441:Plant Epidermis / Q000737:chemistry*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000032:analysis; D014990:Xylans / Q000032:analysis
D002241:Carbohydrates; D003373:Coumaric Acids; D005936:Glucans; D010636:Phenols; D011134:Polysaccharides; D014990:Xylans; C516502:diferulic acid; C029353:xyloglucan; C007916:hemicellulose; D010368:Pectins; D008031:Lignin