Low-Field NMR Quantification of Plant Rubber Content
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for quantifying natural rubber in plants are time-intensive and require expensive, bulky equipment, making them unsuitable for rapid and field-ready analysis, especially for sustainable sources like guayule and Hevea trees.
Innovation Solution
A low-field NMR method that involves dissolving a plant extract in a solvent with a known rubber standard, obtaining NMR spectra, and using a conversion factor to quantify natural rubber content, allowing for rapid and non-destructive analysis with portable equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high resolution or high-field NMR spectrums are used for quantifying natural rubber, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase, and equipment becomes non-portable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, complex high-field NMR equipment with inexpensive, portable low-field NMR devices. The low-field NMR apparatus, while less sensitive, provides sufficient precision for rubber quantification when combined with the standardized extraction and internal standard methods, eliminating the need for costly laboratory equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the magnetic field strength parameter from high-field (traditional NMR) to low-field (portable NMR), accepting reduced sensitivity in exchange for portability and cost reduction. This parameter change is compensated by optimizing other parameters including extraction efficiency, sample preparation, and using internal standards to maintain adequate measurement precision for practical applications
2Measurement precision
If solvent extraction and lengthy sample preparation methods are used, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary extraction of rubber compounds from plant material using solvents before NMR analysis. This preliminary action separates the rubber compounds from the complex plant matrix, simplifying the subsequent NMR analysis and reducing the time required for sample preparation and analysis while maintaining quantification accuracy through the use of internal standards
Solution Approach 2:
The patent streamlines the sample preparation process by skipping unnecessary intermediate steps and moving directly from extraction to NMR analysis. The method uses direct injection of extracted samples with minimal purification, rushing through the preparation phase to reduce overall analysis time while maintaining sufficient precision for breeding and harvesting decisions
3Measurement precision
If high resolution NMR apparatuses are used, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to lengthy analysis time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces time-consuming high-resolution NMR analysis with faster low-field NMR analysis. The low-field devices, while less precise, provide adequate quantification speed for high-throughput screening of rubber plants, enabling many more analyses per day to support breeding programs and harvesting decisions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial action by accepting lower measurement precision from low-field NMR that is sufficient for practical breeding and harvesting decisions, rather than requiring the excessive precision of high-field NMR. This partial precision approach dramatically reduces analysis time and increases productivity for applications where exact quantification beyond a certain threshold is not critical
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables accurate and rapid quantification of natural rubber in plants, reducing analysis time and costs, and is suitable for field-ready applications, facilitating decisions on harvesting and breeding.
Implementation Method 1
obtain a NMR spectrum of the sample solution, the NMR spectrum includes a first signal peak corresponding to a single proton for the natural rubber present in the portion of the plant
Data Source
AI summary
Methods are described for quantifying an amount of natural rubber in a plant from a sample of the plant by obtaining a NMR spectrum and analyzing the signal peaks for the natural rubber in the plant sample and a standard component tested in combination with the plant sample. The NMR testing is conducted on a liquid state sample of a solution containing dissolved plant sample and standard component. A pre-determined and known amount of standard component is present in the liquid state sample and provides a reference for calculating an estimated amount of natural rubber in the plant sample. The estimated amount of natural rubber in the sample can be used to quantify the amount of extractable rubber in the sampled plant.