ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Metabolism and Chemodiversity
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1670979
This article is part of the Research TopicMolecular Mechanisms and Multi-Omics Approaches in Plant Secondary Metabolism: Regulation, Stress Responses, and Biotechnological ApplicationsView all articles
Comparative LC-MS/MS-Based Profiling of Phytohormones: A Unified Analytical Approach Across Diverse Plant Matrices
Provisionally accepted
Muhammad Kamran Hakeem1
Tamilarasan Rajendaran1Esam Eldin Saeed2
Ajay Kumar Mishra2Khaled M Hazzouri2
Khaled M. A. Amiri2,3
ILTAF SHAH1*- 1Department of Chemistry, College of Science, UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- 2Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- 3Department of Biology, College of Science, UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
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Phytohormones are critical regulators of plant growth, development, and stress responses. Despite advancements in analytical techniques, profiling multiple phytohormones across various plant matrices using a standardized approach remains underexplored. This study presents a unified LC-MS/MS analytical platform, employing consistent chromatographic and mass spectrometric conditions in combination with tailored matrix-specific extraction procedures, to profile and quantify key phytohormones. This includes abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), gibberellic acid (GA), and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), across five plant matrices of significant agricultural and medicinal value. The method was validated for sensitivity, reproducibility, and matrix adaptability, demonstrating robust performance in profiling phytohormones from these diverse species. The results revealed distinct phytohormonal profiles, reflecting species-specific physiological adaptations to environmental conditions. For instance, cardamom exhibited high levels of SA and ABA, associated with stress responses in arid climates, while aloe vera showed lower phytohormone levels, indicative of its drought tolerance. Statistical analyses confirmed significant variation in hormone concentrations across the matrices, emphasizing the role of both genetic and environmental factors. This unified LC-MS/MS platform offers a comprehensive approach to understanding phytohormone distribution and dynamics, with implications for improving agricultural practices, crop resilience, and the development of functional foods and nutraceuticals. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of plant physiology and offer practical applications in sustainable agriculture, particularly in regions with significant agricultural and medicinal crop production.
Keywords: LCMS (Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry), phytohormones, Plant matrices, Sustainibility, LCMS/MS analysis
Received: 22 Jul 2025; Accepted: 30 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Hakeem, Rajendaran, Eldin Saeed, Mishra, Hazzouri, Amiri and SHAH. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: ILTAF SHAH, Department of Chemistry, College of Science, UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
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