A small-scale fractionation pipeline for rapid analysis of seed mucilage characteristics

BACKGROUND: Myxospermy is a process by which the external surfaces of seeds of many plant species produce mucilage—a polysaccharide-rich gel with numerous fundamental research and industrial applications. Due to its functional properties the mucilage can be difficult to remove from the seed and established methods for mucilage extraction are often incomplete, time-consuming and unnecessarily wasteful of precious seed stocks. RESULTS: Here we tested the efficacy of several established protocols for seed mucilage extraction and then downsized and adapted the most effective elements into a rapid, small-scale extraction and analysis pipeline. Within 4 h, three chemically- and functionally-distinct mucilage fractions were obtained from myxospermous seeds. These fractions were used to study natural variation and demonstrate structure–function links, to screen for known mucilage quality markers in a field trial, and to identify research and industry-relevant lines from a large mutant population. CONCLUSION: The use of this pipeline allows rapid analysis of mucilage characteristics from diverse myxospermous germplasm which can contribute to fundamental research into mucilage production and properties, quality testing for industrial manufacturing, and progressing breeding efforts in myxospermous crops.