Metabolites In Different Parts Research Articles

Spatial distribution of differential metabolites in different parts of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging

Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg (T. hemsleyanum) is a homology medicine and food that is rich in bioactive ingredients such as flavonoids and phenolic acids. A strategy that integrates ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UHPLC–ESI/MS) and desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) spatial metabolomics analysis was proposed and applied to different parts of T. hemsleyanum for the first time. A total of 132 compounds were tentatively identified, and 3, 7, and 24 components were found only in tuberous roots (TRs), fibrous roots (FRs), and leaves, respectively, using UHPLC–ESI/MS. The DESI-MSI results showed that the spatial distribution of flavonoids between the aerial and underground parts was diverse; for example, vitexin-2″-O-glucoside was largely localized in the epidermis and xylem of TRs, while a small amount was restricted to the xylem of the leaf margin and FRs. There was a higher abundance of most organic acids and flavonoids in the leaves than in the underground parts. Some flavonoids showed the same abundance in FRs and TRs, but the levels of most compounds were considerably higher in FRs. It is possible for leaves and FRs to become new medicinal parts of T. hemsleyanum. Through chemometrics statistics analysis, 19 key differential compounds in different parts of T. hemsleyanum were found, and the pharmacological mechanisms of the main differential metabolites were predicted by network pharmacology. This study provides a novel method for the medicinal development of T. hemsleyanum, showing its great potential in the development of medicinal resources.

Microbial communities of Schisandra sphenanthera Rehd. et Wils. and the correlations between microbial community and the active secondary metabolites.

Schisandra sphenanthera Rehd. et Wils. is a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, great differences exist in the content of active secondary metabolites in various parts of S. sphenanthera. Do microorganisms critically influence the accumulation of active components in different parts of S. sphenanthera? In this study, 16S/ITS amplicon sequencing analysis was applied to unravel microbial communities in rhizospheric soil and different parts of wild S. sphenanthera. At the same time, the active secondary metabolites in different parts were detected, and the correlation between the secondary metabolites and microorganisms was analyzed. The major components identified in the essential oils were sesquiterpene and oxygenated sesquiterpenes. The contents of essential oil components in fruit were much higher than that in stem and leaf, and the dominant essential oil components were different in these parts. The dominant components of the three parts were γ-muurolene, δ-cadinol, and trans farnesol (stem); α-cadinol and neoisolongifolene-8-ol (leaf); isosapathulenol, α-santalol, cedrenol, and longiverbenone (fruit). The microbial amplicon sequences were taxonomically grouped into eight (bacteria) and seven (fungi) different phyla. Community diversity and composition analyses showed that different parts of S. sphenanthera had similar and unique microbial communities, and functional prediction analysis showed that the main functions of microorganisms were related to metabolism. Moreover, the accumulation of secondary metabolites in S. sphenanthera was closely related to the microbial community composition, especially bacteria. In endophytic bacteria, Staphylococcus and Hypomicrobium had negative effects on five secondary metabolites, among which γ-muurolene and trans farnesol were the dominant components in the stem. That is, the dominant components in stems were greatly affected by microorganisms. Our results provided a new opportunity to further understand the effects of microorganisms on the active secondary metabolites and provided a basis for further research on the sustainable utilization of S. sphenanthera.

Premna integrifolia: A Review on the Exploration of its Potential Pharmacological and Therapeutic Properties

Abstract: Several Premna species can be found over the entire tropical and subtropical regions of Australia, Asia, and Africa. Many conventional herbal preparations using P. integrifolia (Lamiaceae) have been reported for their potential health advantages. The P. integrifolia is taxonomically ambiguous because of the wide variation in specimens obtained from various geographic locations. The plant is extensively used to treat immune-related disorders, skin conditions, inflammatory conditions, and stomach issues. The root of P. integrifolia is broadly utilized in the manufacture of Ayurvedic pharmaceutical products, such as Dasamula Kvatha and Chayawanprash Avaleha. It has also been identified to have antibacterial, hepatoprotective, and antifungal properties. The current study aims to investigate the antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of P. integrifolia against various cancers, as well as its antiinflammatory activity, antidiabetic, cardiac-stimulant, anti-obesity, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, analgesic, antiarthritic, antiparasitic, and wound healing activity, as well as the presence of various secondary metabolites in different parts of the plant used in a variety of formulations.

Tissue distribution of metabolites in Cordyceps cicadae determinedby DESI-MSI analysis.

In this paper, we establish an in situ visualization analysis method to image the spatial distribution of metabolites in different parts (sclerotium, coremium) and different microregions of Cordyceps cicadae (C. cicadae) to achieve the in situ visual characterization of tissues for a variety of metabolites such as nucleosides, amino acids, polysaccharides, organic acids, fatty acids, and so on. The study included LC-MS chemical composition identification, preparation of C. cicadae tissue sections, DEDI-MSI analysis, DESI combined with Q-TOF/MS to obtain high-resolution imaging of mass-to-charge ratio and space, imaging of C. cicadae in positive-negative ion mode with a spatial resolution of 100μm, and localizing and identifying its chemical compositions based on its precise mass. A total of 62 compounds were identified; nucleosides were mainly distributed in the coremium, L-threonine and DL-isoleucine, and other essential amino acids; peptides were mainly distributed in the sclerotium of C. cicadae; and the rest of the amino acids did not have a clear pattern; sugars and sugar alcohols were mainly distributed in the coremium of C. cicadae; organic acids and fatty acids were distributed in the nucleus of C. cicadae more than in the sclerotium, and the mass spectrometry imaging method is established in the research. The mass spectrometry imaging method established in this study is simple and fast and can visualize and analyse the spatial distribution of metabolites of C. cicadae, which is of great significance in characterizing the metabolic network of C. cicadae, and provides support for the quality evaluation of C. cicadae and the study of the temporal and spatial metabolic network of chemical compounds.

Identification of metabolites in different parts of Juandan Baihe (Lilium lancifolium) by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and their hypoglycemic activities

Identification of metabolites in different parts of Juandan Baihe (Lilium lancifolium) by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and their hypoglycemic activities

Pharmacological and Nutritional Properties: Genus Salvia

Complementary medicine has emerged with the history of humanity and has become widespread with the use of natural products in the treatment of many diseases. People have used many plant species in the treatment of diseases by benefiting from trial and error and knowledge. Plants have been used as shelter, food, medicine, spices, cosmetics, and tools for use in religious rituals. Different communities around the world have widely used local plants. In addition, the cosmopolitan species are used by all people in the treatment of diseases. Genus Salvia is a plant species that is widely known and used worldwide for its nutritional properties as well as its many biological activities. There are many secondary metabolites in different parts of the plant. Thanks to these secondary metabolites, it shows different biological properties. Salvia species have remarkable activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer. It is also an important natural resource with its high nutritional content. In this study, the nutritional contents, usage areas, chemical compositions and pharmacological properties of Genus Salvia were reviewed. In this context, the use of Salvia species in pharmacological designs and their nutritional importance were emphasized. As a result, it has been determined that members of Genus Salvia are one of the important plant species used in complementary medicine.

Retracted: The Differences of Metabolites in Different Parts of the Brain Induced by Shuxuetong Injection against Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion and Its Corresponding Mechanism.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/9465095.].

Identification and Dissipation of Chlorpyrifos and Its Main Metabolite 3,5,6-TCP during Wheat Growth with UPLC-QTOF/MS.

Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography system coupled to a hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (UPLC-QTOF/MS) technology was used to investigate the degradation and metabolism of chlorpyrifos during wheat growth by spraying plants with different doses of chlorpyrifos 7 days after the flowering and filling stage. We analyzed and identified chlorpyrifos metabolites in different parts of wheat in full-scan MSE mode, and established a chlorpyrifos metabolite screening library using UNIFI software. The results show that the residues of chlorpyrifos in wheat ears, leaves, and stems exhibited a decreasing trend with the prolongation of application time, and the degradation kinetics could be fitted with the first-order kinetic equation Ct = C0 e−kt. The initial residues of chlorpyrifos in different parts of the wheat were different, in the order of leaves > wheat ears > stems. The degradation rate of chlorpyrifos under field conditions is relatively fast, and the half-life value is 2.33−5.05 days. Chlorpyrifos can undergo a nucleophilic addition substitution reaction under the action of hydrolase to generate secondary metabolite 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (3,5,6-TCP). The residual amount of 3,5,6-TCP in each part of wheat first showed an increasing trend and then decreased over time. It reached the maximum on the 3rd, 7th, or 11th day after application, and then gradually degraded. Considering that 3,5,6-TCP is a biomarker with potential threats to humans and animals, it is recommended that 3,5,6-TCP be included in the relevant regulations for dietary exposure risk assessment.

The Differences of Metabolites in Different Parts of the Brain Induced by Shuxuetong Injection against Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion and Its Corresponding Mechanism.

Ischemic stroke is often associated with a large disease burden. The existence of ischemia-reperfusion injury brings great challenges to the treatment of ischemic stroke. The purpose of this study was to explore the differences of metabolites in different parts of the brain induced by Shuxuetong injection against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion and to extend the corresponding mechanism. The rats were modeled by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (t-MCAO) operation, and the success of modeling was determined by neurological function score and TTC staining. UPLC-Q/TOF-MS metabolomics technique and multivariate statistical analysis were used to analyze the changes and differences of metabolites in the cortex and hippocampus of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats. Compared with the model group, the neurological function score and cerebral infarction volume of the Shuxuetong treatment group were significantly different. There were differences and changes in the metabolic distribution of the cortex and hippocampus in each group, the distribution within the group was relatively concentrated. The separation trend between the groups was obvious, and the distribution of the Shuxuetong treatment group was similar to that of the sham operation group. We identified 13 metabolites that were differentially expressed in the cortex, including glutamine, dihydroorotic acid, and glyceric acid. We also found five differentially expressed metabolites in the hippocampus, including glutamic acid and fumaric acid. The common metabolic pathways of Shuxuetong on the cortex and hippocampus were D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism and nitrogen metabolism, which showed inhibition of cortical glutamine and promotion of hippocampal glutamic acid. Specific pathways of Shuxuetong enriched in the cortex included glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism and pyrimidine metabolism, which showed inhibition of glyceric acid and dihydroorotic acid. Specific pathways of Shuxuetong enriched in the hippocampus include arginine biosynthesis and citrate cycle (TCA cycle), which promotes fumaric acid. Shuxuetong injection can restore and adjust the metabolic disorder of the cortex and hippocampus in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats. The expression of Shuxuetong in different parts of the brain is different and correlated.

A Review: Underutilized Plant of Sabah and its Potential Value.

Underutilized plants are referred to a plant species whose potential is not fully utilized yet and they are usually found abundantly in certain local areas but are globally rare. Sabah is known for high biodiversity and contains many underutilized plants. To our knowledge, this is the first review to provide overview information of the medicinal value and pharmacological properties of underutilized plants in Sabah. Extract and metabolites in different parts of several underutilized plants contain multiple beneficial bioactive compounds and the exploitation of these compounds was supported by additional data that plays various biological activities, including anti-atherosclerotic, anti-cancer antihypercholesterolemic and anti-ulcerogenic. A handful of pharmacological studies on these underutilized plants have conclusively outlined the mode of action in treatment of several diseases and in other health aspects. This paper limits its scope to review and highlight the potential of using underutilized plants in Sabah only which could serve as reliable resource for health product development in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical through continuous discovering of more active and sustainable resources as well as ingredients for food and medicine.

Edible mushrooms of the genus Pleurotus as biocontrol agents of parasites of importance for livestock

Background: Edible mushrooms have nutraceutical properties, mainly in humans, animals and plants. Pleurotus species represent an alternative approach to parasite control because they have nematocidal activity against different taxonomic genera of nematodes of importance for livestock (e.g., eggs and infective and histotrophic larvae of Haemonchus contortus), as well as against other parasites of importance in animal health.
 Objective: To present a general overview of fungi of the genus Pleurotus and their characteristics as a sustainable method of biocontrol for parasitic nematodes of animals with importance in public health.
 Methods: This bibliographic review was carried out by consulting published studies on edible fungi of the genus Pleurotus and analyzing their properties related to nematocidal activity. The works were grouped according to their research focus; works related to keywords and topics in livestock were identified in indexed journals and on digital platforms.
 Results and conclusions: Pleurotus spp. produce different secondary metabolites with antiparasitic activities, mainly anthelmintic and particularly against gastrointestinal nematodes and their larval stages. The characteristics of these fungi are excellent for biotechnological applications since they produce a wide range of secondary metabolites in different parts, such as in the basidiomas, mycelia and degraded substrates.

Characterization of secondary metabolites in different parts of Ocimum gratissimum L. by in vitro antioxidant activity and high-performance liquid chromatography–diode-array detector analysis

Background: Ocimum gratissimum L. (OG) has medicinal importance, especially in the treatment of epilepsy, fever, diarrhea, mental illness, etc., Objectives: The present study focused on evaluation of the total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and reducing and antioxidizing activities from methanolic extract of different plant parts, namely leaves, stem, roots, and flowers of OG. Materials and Methods: The quantification of phenolic and polyphenolic compounds was assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: The results revealed that the root extract showed the highest phenolic content (323.93 ± 2.062 μg/mg) and reducing property (150.57 ± 1.76 μg/mg), whereas the highest flavonoid content was found in leaves 72.09 ± 1.269 μg/mg. The highest radical scavenging activity (68.12% ± 0.527%) was observed for the root extract in 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method. Similar significant results were observed by 2, 2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) method as well for all investigated extracts. HPLC–diode-array detector analysis was done to find the secondary metabolite composition of the methanol extracts which lead to the characterization of different flavonoids and phenolic acids in OG extracts. Conclusion: These results showed that this species can be a source of phenolic compounds and antioxidants, thereby suggesting it for consumption as a source of natural food antioxidant to help hinder against various detrimental effects of reactive species-induced ailments.

Emetine and cephaeline content in plants of Psychotria ipecacuanha in Costa Rica

The objective of this study was to identify the emetic metabolites in different parts of the P. ipecacuanha, a plant with emetic properties. Partial phytochemical analysis was performed to determine the presence of emetine and cephaeline in leaves, stems and roots. Both alkaloids were detected in the three plant parts analyzed. Highest alkaloid content was found in roots (8.55 mg/g), followed by stems (4.05 mg/g), and the lowest was found in leaves (2.4 mg/g). The cephaeline content (8.35 mg/g) was higher than that of emetine (6.65 mg/g) in all the three organs analyzed. Toxicity analysis of the crude extract showed a LD50 of 500 mg/kg.

Phytochemical Screening and Betaxanthines of Pilosocereus catingicola (Gürke) Byles & Rowley Subsp. salvadorensis (Werderm.) Zappi (Cactaceae)

In the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil, we find several cacti that are very important for the regional fauna and flora, including the “facheiro” (Pilosocereus catingicola (Gürke) Byles & Rowley subsp. salvadorensis (Werderm.) Zappi, a species that belongs to this botanical family and is widespread in the Paraiba semiarid region. The objective of this study was quantify and characterize the chemical constituents of the fruits and cladodes of Pilosocereus catingicola subsp. salvadorensis. The fruits were lyophilized and the samples were subsequently ground. A 2 gram aliquot of the lyophilized material was solubilized in 5 mL of 50% MeOH and 50 mmol L-1 of sodium ascorbate and distilled water. The extractive content was monitored by absorbance in a UV-VIS Meter® SP2000 (600 nm) spectrophotometer. Analyzes were performed using the SAS® Program (North Carolina, USA), version 9.2. The constituent groups identified on the stem were the phenolic and tannin groups: steroids, tannins, flavonoids, and saponins. Betalains are the group of alkaloids of greater expression in the fruits of this species, from which the betaxanthines are its main constituents, such as vulgaxanthin III, muscarine and dopaxanthin. Pilosocereus catingicola is a potential source of these metabolites in different parts of the plant, which, therefore, justifies encouraging the best employment of the species.

Secondary Metabolites in Arctium lappa L.: Variation Among Plant Parts and Phenological Stages

Arctium lappa L. (Asteraceae) occupies a prominent position in the ethnotherapeutics practices. The herb is known to contain a number of bioactive metabolites, which have immense therapeutic value. The objective of our present investigation was to estimate the variation of metabolites in different parts and phonological stages of A. lappa. This investigation has been done using a high-performance thin-layer chromatography technique. The present analysis reveals that the root (vegetative stages) holds the significantly high content of triterpenoids (betulinic acid, oleanolic acid, and lupeol), in comparison to the reproductive stage.

Qualitative and quantitative characterization of carbohydrate profiles in three different parts of Poria cocos

Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for centuries. Its three medicinal parts are Poria Cutis, the epidermis or fulingpi in Chinese; White Poria, the middle part or baifuling; and Poria cum Radix Pini, the sclerotium with some part of host pine root or fushen. The hostwood in fushen is the inner part, known as fushenmu. The epidermis, middle part and middle-plus-inner part have different clinical applications, but the differences in their chemistry have not been well determined. Previous studies only concentrated on the differences in secondary metabolites in different parts of P. cocos; however, in this study, we focused on the carbohydrates, another major type of bioactive chemicals in P. cocos, which is also different from most of the other TCM researches. The carbohydrates (polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and monosaccharides) in three parts (epidermis, middle and inner part) of P. cocos were qualitatively and quantitatively characterized by high performance gel permeation chromatography coupled with charged aerosol detector (HPGPC-CAD) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS). The obtained data were further processed by principal component analysis (PCA) and supervised orthogonal partial least squared discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). The results showed that the epidermis contained more polysaccharides with larger molecular weight and higher amount of glucose residue than that of the middle and inner parts, indicating the epidermis as the key site of accumulation of P. cocos polysaccharides. When compared with the epidermis and inner part, the middle part contained the highest glucose molar ratio greater than 92 % in the three types of carbohydrates, whereas the inner part possessed the greatest molar ratio of mannose, xylose, arabinose, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, and galacturonic acid in all kinds of carbohydrates. Furthermore, PCA and OPLS-DA clearly demonstrated that arabinose, glucose, galacturonic acid, and ribose played key roles in the clusters between the epidermis, middle and inner parts. The observed differences in the chemical components in the three parts could provide some explanation for the discriminative clinical applications of Poria Cutis, White Poria, and Poria cum Radix Pini. These findings also provided a chemical basis for quality assessment of P. cocos.

Determination of phenolic compounds, in vitro antioxidant activity and characterization of secondary metabolites in different parts of Passiflora cincinnata by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS analysis

Ethanol extracts of different parts of Passiflora cincinnata were obtained by maceration. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were evaluated. The antioxidant activities were determined by β-carotene-linoleic acid bleaching test, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH), and 2,2’-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging. The crude ethanol stem extract showed the highest amount of total polyphenols (45.53 mg gallic acid equivalent/g) while the highest total flavonoid contents (1.42 mg of quercetin equivalent/g) were observed in the leaf extract. The lowest IC50 (25.65 μg/ml) by the DPPH method was observed for the stem extract. The ABTS method showed a significant antioxidant activity for all investigated extracts. The secondary metabolite composition of ethanol extracts was assessed by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS analysis, leading to the identification of fourteen secondary metabolites in P. cincinnata extracts. These results showed the potentiality of this species as a source of phenolic compounds and antioxidants.

Secondary metabolite contents in different parts of cassava plants infested by Phenacoccus manihoti Matile-Ferrero (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

The objective of this study was to identify and quantify the secondary metabolites in different parts of cassava plants infested and non-infested by Phenacoccus manihoti. Experiments were conducted in a greenhouse at Embrapa Soja, Londrina, Parana, Brazil, with a completely randomized design involving a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement [i.e., three cassava cultivars (‘Baianinha,’ ‘Santa Helena,’ and ‘IAC-12’), two canopy strata (apical and basal), and two levels of P. manihoti infestation (infested and non-infested)]. Cassava cuttings were vertically positioned in 5-L plastic pots. To generate cassava plants infested with P. manihoti, leaves containing five mass-reared first-instar nymphs were collected and placed on shoot apices. After 48 h, samples were collected for a subsequent extraction of metabolites. Extract aliquots were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography to detect and quantify compounds. Extracts from the apical and basal leaves of ‘Baianinha,’ ‘Santa Helena,’ and ‘IAC 12’ cassava cultivars contained caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, rutin, and trace amounts of gallic acid. Caffeic acid was mainly detected in the basal leaf extracts for all evaluated cultivars. Additionally, ferulic acid levels were relatively high in the ‘Baianinha’ and ‘Santa Helena’ basal leaves. Furthermore, rutin concentrations were higher in apical leaves than in basal leaves for all three cultivars, regardless of whether the plants were infested by P. manihoti. The presence of P. manihoti induced the production of rutin in the apical leaves of ‘Baianinha’ plants.

UPLC-DAD-MS Based Quality Control and Discrimination Analysis of Different Aerial Parts of Crataegus rhipidophylla Gand. Found in Indian Western Himalaya

Crataegus rhipidophylla is utilized throughout the world for medicinal, cosmeceutical, food and nutritional purposes. Hence, a reliable analytical method for quality control is the need of hours. Therefore, a UPLC-DAD-MS based quality control method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of targeted polyphenols (protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, epicatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, p-coumaric acid, hyperoside, quercetin 3-glycoside, epicatechin gallate, luteolin, quercetin dihydrate and kaempferol) in stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds of C. rhipidophylla. The method was validated using linearity (r2 > 0.999), LOQ, LOD, inter and intra-day precision, stability and recovery studies and found fast (10 min), reproducible and stable. Significant alterations of metabolites in different parts were noticed using the same method. Hyperoside, quercetin, quercetin 3-glycoside, kaempferol, chlorogenic acid, were present in all parts while epicatechin and epicatechin gallate were only present in stems. Moreover, the protocatechuic acid is also present in all aerial parts except seeds. The method was used to understand accumulation and discrimination pattern of metabolites among the different parts. Furthermore, the study will help for the authenticity of plant material, standardization of extracts as well as understand the biosynthesis and accumulation of targeted metabolites in aerial parts of the plant at different intervals/sessions.

Tissue-Specific Accumulation of Sulfur Compounds and Saponins in Different Parts of Garlic Cloves from Purple and White Ecotypes.

This study set out to determine the distribution of sulfur compounds and saponin metabolites in different parts of garlic cloves. Three fractions from purple and white garlic ecotypes were obtained: the tunic (SS), internal (IS) and external (ES) parts of the clove. Liquid Chromatography coupled to High Resolution Mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS), together with bioinformatics including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Hierarchical Clustering (HCL) and correlation network analyses were carried out. Results showed that the distribution of these metabolites in the different parts of garlic bulbs was different for the purple and the white ecotypes, with the main difference being a slightly higher number of sulfur compounds in purple garlic. The SS fraction in purple garlic had a higher content of sulfur metabolites, while the ES in white garlic was more enriched by these compounds. The correlation network indicated that diallyl disulfide was the most relevant metabolite with regards to sulfur compound metabolism in garlic. The total number of saponins was almost 40-fold higher in purple garlic than in the white variety, with ES having the highest content. Interestingly, five saponins including desgalactotigonin-rhamnose, proto-desgalactotigonin, proto-desgalactotigonin-rhamnose, voghieroside D1, sativoside B1-rhamnose and sativoside R1 were exclusive to the purple variety. Data obtained from saponin analyses revealed a very different network between white and purple garlic, thus suggesting a very robust and tight coregulation of saponin metabolism in garlic. Findings in this study point to the possibility of using tunics from purple garlic in the food and medical industries, since it contains many functional compounds which can be exploited as ingredients.