Comparisons of minicard ratings with ion chromatography sugar profiles of water extracts of cotton fibers and those of minicard sticky spot materials

Authors: Peralta, Donna; Fortier, Chanel; ZUMBA, JIMMY - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); THIBODEAUX, DEVRON - Retired ARS Employee; Delhom, Christopher; Rodgers Iii, James

Submitted to: Textile Research Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/24/2016
Publication Date: 4/4/2016
Citation: Peralta, D.V., Fortier, C.A., Zumba, J., Thibodeaux, D.P., Delhom, C.D., Rodgers III, J.E. 2016. Comparisons of minicard ratings with ion chromatography sugar profiles of water extracts of cotton fibers and those of minicard sticky spot materials. Textile Research Journal. 87(6):747-758. https://doi.org/10.14504/ajr.3.4.2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14504/ajr.3.4.2

Interpretive Summary: Specific levels and ratios of the carbohydrates melezitose and trehalulose deposited on the surface of cotton fibers are indicators of whitefly or aphid contamination. These deposits could cause stickiness problems during cotton ginning and textile processing. The concept of cotton stickiness is highly complex, but surface carbohydrates may still play the largest role in manifesting a stickiness issue. We have utilized ion chromatography (IC) to identify and quantify nine sugars present in the water extracts of twenty five cotton samples in order to create a sugar profile for each sample: inositol, trehalose, glucose, fructose, trehalulose, sucrose, melezitose, raffinose and maltose. We compared the sugar profiles for each sample to its respective Minicard rating of NONE, LIGHT, MODERATE or HEAVY to try to distinguish a meaningful relationship between the IC data and the rating. If distinguishable correlations between IC sugar profiles and Minicard ratings can be established, then we may be able to utilize IC as a pinpoint approach to predicting cotton stickiness rather than relying on the inconsistency of the Minicard machine, among other physical stickiness tests. Trehalulose and melezitose in the water extracts have the highest positive correlation to the Minicard rating; confirming past researchers’ attribution of cotton stickiness to insect sugars. Glucose and fructose had high negative correlations; dropping their milligram amounts present in the sticky material, when the Minicard rating changed from MODERATE to HEAVY. This result indicates that the Benedict Test, which attributes these reducing sugars to stickiness, may not by sufficient for conjecturing a stickiness issue. There were relatively little changes in the sugar distribution ratios between water extracted sugars and the sugars contained in the sticky spots.

Technical Abstract: Specific levels and ratios of the carbohydrates melezitose and trehalulose deposited on the surface of cotton fibers are indicators of whitefly or aphid contamination. These deposits could cause stickiness problems during cotton ginning and textile processing. The concept of cotton stickiness is highly complex, but surface carbohydrates may still play the largest role in manifesting a stickiness issue. We have utilized ion chromatography (IC) to identify and quantify nine sugars present in the water extracts of twenty five cotton samples in order to create a sugar profile for each sample: inositol, trehalose, glucose, fructose, trehalulose, sucrose, melezitose, raffinose and maltose. We compared the sugar profiles for each sample to its respective Minicard rating of NONE, LIGHT, MODERATE or HEAVY to draw correlations between the IC data and the rating. Trehalulose and melezitose in the water extracts have the highest positive correlation to the Minicard rating; confirming past researchers’ attribution of cotton stickiness to insect sugars. IC studies of the collected sticky spot material from the Minicard found that trehalulose and melezitose maintain the highest positive correlation to the stickiness rating. Glucose and fructose had high negative correlations; dropping their milligram amounts present in the sticky material, when the Minicard rating changed from MODERATE to HEAVY. This result indicates that the Benedict Test, which attributes these reducing sugars to stickiness, may not by sufficient for conjecturing a stickiness issue. There were relatively little changes in the sugar distribution ratios between water extracted sugars and the sugars contained in the sticky spots.