Abstract
Smallanthus sonchifolius, also known as yacón, is an Andean crop species commercialized for its nutraceutical and medicinal properties. The tuberous roots of yacón accumulate a diverse array of probiotic and bioactive metabolites including fructooligosaccharides and caffeic acid esters. However, the metabolic diversity of yacón remains unexplored, including the site of biosynthesis and accumulation of key metabolite classes. We report herein a multidisciplinary approach involving metabolomics, gene expression and scanning electron microscopy, to provide a comprehensive analysis of the diversity, distribution and spatial regulation of the specialized metabolism in yacón. Our results demonstrate that different metabolic fingerprints and gene expression patterns characterize specific tissues, organs and cultivars of yacón. Manual inspection of mass spectrometry data and molecular networking allowed the tentative identification of 71 metabolites, including undescribed structural analogues of known bioactive compounds. Imaging by scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence of a new type of glandular trichome in yacón bracts, with a distinctive metabolite profile. Furthermore, the high concentration of sesquiterpene lactones in capitate glandular trichomes and the restricted presence of certain flavonoids and caffeic acid esters in underground organs and internal tissues suggests that these metabolites could be involved in protective and ecological functions. This study demonstrates that individual organs and tissues make specific contributions to the highly diverse and specialized metabolome of yacón, which is proving to be a reservoir of previously undescribed molecules of potential significance in human health.
Highlights
By following a multidisciplinary approach, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the spatial regulation, diversity and distribution of specialized metabolites in yacón
Our results suggest that different metabolic fingerprints characterize specific tissues, organs and cultivars of yacón, while our molecular networking-based approach allowed the annotation of 71 metabolites from different chemical classes, including six potentially new compounds: five caffeoylaltraric acid analogues and one flavonoid
The expression patterns of chalcone synthase (CHS) and germacrene A oxidase (GAO) showed significant differences according to the plant organ and cultivar
Summary
The anti-inflammatory [14], antimicrobial [15,16] and antioxidant [17,18,19] activities of organic and aqueous extracts of yacón tubers and aerial parts have been described. Such a diversity of biological effects has been attributed to the diversified specialized metabolism (SM) of yacón. The chemical diversity of STLs, diterpenes, flavonoids, and caffeic acid esters is especially remarkable [28]
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