Gamma-hydroxybutyrate accumulates in green tea and soybean sprouts in response to oxygen deficiency

Abstract

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is an illicit drug, which may be derived in plants from a stress-inducible metabolite known as gamma-aminobutyrate. Here, oxygen deficiency caused the accumulation of GHB in green tea and soybean sprouts (76 and 155 nmol g-1 fresh weight, respectively). These findings demonstrate that GHB levels are elevated in severely modified atmospheres, but they pose no risk to human health. Further work is required to assess the extent of this phenomenon.