Impact of dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma on anthocyanin metabolism in blueberries: A targeted metabonomic and transcriptomic analysis

Abstract

The impact of cold plasma (CP) treatment on anthocyanin accumulation in postharvest blueberries is well-documented. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms are still not fully understood. To gain further insights, we conducted biochemistry, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses. The comparison between control and CP-treated samples revealed 948 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 20 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) (Malvidin-3-O-galactoside, Cyanidin-3-O-galactoside, proanthocyanidin B1, peonidin-3-O-galactoside, etc.). A total of 63 DEGs may be involved in anthocyanins biosynthesis, including PAL, C4H, 4CL, CHS, CHI, F3H, F3’H, F3’5’H, FLS, DFR, LDOX, F3GT, UGT, and GST. The co-expression network analysis revealed that UGT plays an important role in the biosynthesis of anthocyanins in CP-treated blueberry at postharvest. These findings indicate that CP treatment promotes the accumulation of anthocyanins by affecting the phenylpropanoid pathways and flavonoid biosynthesis. This research provides fundamental insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying anthocyanin accumulation in blueberries following CP treatment.