Unveiling the spatial metabolome and anti-atherosclerosis effects of Allium macrostemon Bunge and Allium chinense G. Don

Abstract

Allium macrostemon Bunge (AMB) and Allium chinense G. Don (ACGD) are both the medicinal herbs of Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus (also named Xiebai in Chinese) for the treatment of coronary heart disease. However, the similarities and differences of anti-atherosclerosis effects and chemical profiles of AMB and ACGD still remain unclear. Similarly, comparative analysis of the spatial metabolomes of AMB and ACGD has rarely been performed. First, biochemical and pathological results demonstrated that AMB and ACGD extracts exhibited similar and close lipid-lowering activity and anti-atherosclerosis effect. Further, a total of 693 metabolites were identified or tentatively characterized by UHPLC-MS/MS and UHPLC-TOF/MS. And 365 differential compounds were determined between AMB and ACGD involving in carbohydrate and aldarate metabolism, purine metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, α-linoleic acid metabolism, phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism. Moreover, MALDI-TOF IMS-mediated spatial metabolome given the biosynthesis pathways of steroidal saponins, flavonoids, lignans for the first time. These compounds were rich in AMB tunic and outside scales, whereas they were mainly distributed in ACGD tunic, whole leaf scales, and rarely in developing flower buds. Taken together, these findings provided abundant information about pharmacological effects, chemical profiling and visual spatial distribution of AMB and ACGD, and would benefit the application and promotion of their relative products on the market.