Abstract
Green and white asparagus are quite different crops but can be harvested from the same plant. They have distinct morphological differences due to their mode of cultivation and they are characterised by having contrasting appearance and flavour. Significant chemical differences are therefore expected. Spears from three varieties of both green and white forms, harvested in two consecutive seasons were analysed using headspace GC-MS and LC-MS with an untargeted metabolomic workflow. Mainly C5 and C8 alcohols and aldehydes, and phenolic compounds were more abundant in green spears, whereas benzenoids, monoterpenes, unsaturated aldehydes and steroidal saponins were more abundant in white ones. Previously reported key asparagus volatiles and non-volatiles were detected at similar or not significantly different levels in the two asparagus types. Spatial metabolomics revealed also that many volatiles with known positive aroma attributes were significantly more abundant in the upper parts of the spears and showed a decreasing trend towards the base. These findings provide valuable insights into the metabolome of raw asparagus, the contrasts between green and white spears as well as the different chemical distributions along the stem.
Highlights
Both GC-MS and LC-MS raw data were processed in an untargeted manner based
A number of technical replicates of a mixed sample were analysed in each series to assess technical reproducibility
Certain previously reported key asparagus volatiles and non-volatiles were detected at similar levels in the two types and many new metabolites were described
Summary
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a perennial crop, where the spears (shoots) can be eaten as a nutritious vegetable. It has two main types: green and white which can be derived from the same variety, depending on the cultivation method. Green asparagus is harvested above-ground, while white asparagus grows fully immersed in soil wherein it is harvested [1]. By far, the most widely grown whereas white asparagus is more country-specific. In Europe, for example, green asparagus is more commonly grown and consumed in, e.g., the UK and Spain while white asparagus is more popular in, e.g., Germany and The Netherlands.
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