Identification of glycolaldehyde, the simplest sugar, in plant systems

Glycolaldehyde, a C2 compound, is the simplest sugar molecule, but whether it inherently exists in plants remains unclear due to its complicated existence form in different reaction conditions. By combination of a one-step chemical derivation method and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) measurements, herein, we clarify that the glycolaldehyde monomer molecule exists in aqueous media. Consequently, we report, for the first time, the identification of glycolaldehyde in various green plants such as Chlorella, spinach, maize, and Aeonium decorum f. variegate of the genus Aeonium. The present study provides direct evidence for the determination of glycolaldehyde and enriches our understanding of the chemical processes of biological metabolism in the plant kingdom.