Quantification of glycoalkaloids in tomato plants by time-resolved fluorescence using a europium chelator entrapped in liposomes

Abstract

In the control of tomato transgenic cultivars it is important to determine the glycoalkaloid content, which requires the screening of many samples. We have developed a simple method for the extraction and determination of glycoalkaloids in the leaf and fruit extracts of tomatoes using a europium chelator entrapped in phosphatidylcholine–cholesterol containing liposomes. The concentration values were quantified from liposome lysis effected by glycoalkaloid action. The fluorescent signal is linear between 1 and 10 μg of tomatine, which makes the method useful for the analysis of tomato samples.