Premium
Stability and detection of α‐pinene oxide in aqueous culture medium
Author(s) -
Kajihara Kimberly K.,
Amaral John A.,
Toia Robert F.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620190913
Subject(s) - chemistry , pinene , aqueous solution , oxide , metabolite , chromatography , tris , phosphate , organic chemistry , biochemistry
Methane consumption by methanotrophic bacteria was previously shown to be temporarily inhibited by α‐pinene. Based on literature considerations, loss of inhibition may be due to bacterial degradation of the monoterpene to α‐pinene oxide, an anticipated metabolite. However, since α‐pinene oxide is unstable in aqueous media, detection of its production by methanotrophs or other bacteria is problematic. Therefore, we used gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis to study the chemical breakdown of α‐pinene oxide in various buffer systems (Tris[hydroxymethyl]am inomethane, 3‐[N‐morpholino]propanesulfonic acid, phosphate; pH 7‐9) suitable for bacterial whole‐cell and cell‐free experiments. In every case, aqueous phase α‐pinene oxide was unstable and its disappearance was accompanied by the appearance of five decomposition products in a characteristic fingerprint that was in part buffer dependent. However, this fingerprint was adequately stable in phosphate buffer such that its appearance could be used to infer the intermediacy of α‐pinene oxide if produced by the bacteria at or near their optimal pH.