GC–MS metabolomics of French lettuce (Lactuca Sativa L. var capitata) leaves exposed to bisphenol A via the hydroponic media

Bisphenol A (BPA), an organic compound used to produce polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, has become a ubiquitous contaminant due to its high-volume production and constant release to the environment. Plant metabolomics can trace the stress effects induced by environmental contaminants to the variation of specific metabolites, making it an alternative way to study pollutants toxicity to plants. Nevertheless, there is an important knowledge gap in metabolomics applications in this area.

Evaluate the influence of BPA in French lettuce (Lactuca Sativa L. var capitata) leaves metabolic profile by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) using a hydroponic system.

Lettuces were cultivated in the laboratory to minimize biological variation and were analyzed 55 days after sowing (considered the plant’s adult stage). Hexanoic and methanolic extracts with and without derivatization were prepared for each sample and analyzed by GC–MS.

The highest number of metabolites was obtained from the hexanoic extract, followed by the derivatized methanolic extract. Although no physical differences were observed between control and contaminated lettuce leaves, the multivariate analysis determined a statistically significant difference between their metabolic profiles. Pathway analysis of the most affected metabolites showed that galactose metabolism, starch and fructose metabolism and steroid biosynthesis were significantly affected by BPA exposure.

The preparation of different extracts from the same sample permitted the determination of metabolites with different physicochemical properties. BPA alters the leaves energy and membrane metabolism, plant growth could be affected at higher concentrations and exposition times.