Primary Metabolite Composition Research Articles

Change in the composition of primary metabolites, minerals and secondary metabolites in natural Ziziphus lotus (L. Desf.) wild fruits under environmental variations

Change in the composition of primary metabolites, minerals and secondary metabolites in natural <i>Ziziphus lotus</i> (L. Desf.) wild fruits under environmental variations

Thermal processing-induced changes in volatilome and metabolome of Brussels sprouts: focus on glucosinolate metabolism

This study aimed to investigate the influence of different thermal treatment methods (boiling, steaming) on the metabolome and volatilome of Brussels sprouts. Targeted, quantitative analysis of primary metabolites (amino acids and sugars), glucosinolates as well as untargeted analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were performed. The composition of primary metabolites was affected only by boiling, where the loss of nutrients was observed. Glucosinolate content increased after cooking, which can be explained by the loosening of the plant tissues and its better extractability. Most marked changes were noticed in the volatilome. Among the degradation products of glucosinolates, isothiocyanates were the main chemical group in the raw and boiled vegetable. In contrast, steaming favored the formation of nitriles. Another dominant group of VOCs were aldehydes, which were the most abundant in raw Brussels sprouts and their level significantly decreased after thermal treatment. It is well known that isothiocyanates are substances with widely proven bioactive properties. Therefore, their formation in the glucosinolate degradation process is favorable. Based on the obtained results, it was concluded that boiling seems to be the most beneficial form of Brussels sprouts’ processing.

Metabolomics Analysis of C. lanceolatum Roots in the Presence of Its Endophytic Fungi

The aim of this work was to identify and quantify the metabolites present in the roots of Combretum lanceolatum inoculated with its endophytic fungi. The metabolomics was accomplished using the 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectral data and evaluated via rNMR software and Madison Metabolomics Consortium Database (MMCD). The principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) showed that plants inoculated with Trichoderma spirale (Ts) present differentiation and discrimination over the time as compared to control. Seven days after Ts fungal inoculation, 15 metabolites were identified at different concentrations comparing to the control plants. The plants inoculated with Ts fungus present the metabolites spermidine and pantothenate in higher concentrations and 3-hydroxybutyric acid and β-alanine in lower concentrations as compared to control plants, indicating any response to biotic stress. These metabolites are involved in various plant processes, including secondary metabolites biosynthesis, energy metabolism and self-defense. Therefore, this work demonstrates the diversification of primary metabolites composition influenced by endophytes inoculation.

Non-targeted metabolomic analysis for the comparative evaluation of volatile organic compounds in 20 globally representative cucumber lines.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are one of the main fruit-quality determinants in cucumber. Here, we investigated the differences in the VOC and primary metabolite composition among 20 representative cucumber lines. Results of non-targeted metabolomics revealed that the cucumber breeding line of the Korean group showed a unique VOC composition in the fruit peel compared to the other groups. Fruit-flesh VOCs significantly differed among Korean, European, and Thai fruits. The main cucumber flavor components, 2-hexenal, hexanal, 6-nonenal, 2,4-nonadienal, and 2,6-nonadienal, were lower in the Korean cucumber lines than in the others. Conversely, linoleic acid derivatives and α-linolenic acid, which are precursors of these VOCs, were abundant in Korean cucumber line. This suggests that the metabolism related to the characteristic flavor of cucumber are downregulated in Korean cucumber line. This study provides novel insights into the fruit flavor-associated metabolome in various cucumber lines.

VineyardFACE: Investigation of a moderate (+20 %) increase of ambient CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; concentration on berry ripening dynamics and fruit composition of Cabernet-Sauvignon

Climate change and rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration are a concern for agriculture, including viticulture. Studies on elevated carbon dioxide have already been conducted on grapevines, mainly taking place in greenhouses using potted plants or using field-grown vines under instant and higher CO2 enrichment, i.e., &gt; 650 ppm. The VineyardFACE, located at Hochschule Geisenheim University, is an open field Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experimental set-up designed to study the effects of elevated carbon dioxide using adapted, field-grown vines (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet-Sauvignon). As the carbon dioxide fumigation started in 2014, the long-term effects of elevated carbon dioxide treatment can be investigated on berry ripening parameters and fruit metabolic composition.The present study investigates the effect on fruit composition under a moderate increase (+20 %; eCO2) of carbon dioxide concentration, as predicted for 2050 on Cabernet-Sauvignon. Berry growth, ripening dynamics and composition were determined and primary (sugars, organic acids, amino acids) and secondary metabolites (anthocyanins) were analysed. Compared to previous results of the early adaptive phase of the vines (Wohlfahrt et al., 2020), our results show little effects of eCO2 treatment on primary metabolites composition in berries. However, total anthocyanins concentration in berry skin was lower for eCO2 treatment in the hot and dry season of 2020, although the ratio between anthocyanins derivatives did not differ.

Comparative GC-MS analysis of the composition of metabolites of aboveground and underground parts of Comarum palustre L

Introduction. Understanding the mechanisms of accumulation of individual groups of biologically active substances in promising types of plant raw materials and the possibility of predicting them is important for solving fundamental and applied problems of pharmaceuticals. To date, differences have been revealed in the qualitative and quantitative composition of secondary metabolites in the aboveground and underground of Comarum palustre L., however, the issue remains unstudied.Aim. Comparative metabolomic study of the composition of the primary metabolites of the aboveground and underground parts of Comarum palustre L.Materials and methods. The object of the study was the aboveground and underground parts of Comarum palustre L., harvested in the vicinity of the nursery of medicinal plants of the St. Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical University (Leningrad Region, Vsevolozhsky District, Priozerskoe Highway, 38 km) in 2019 and dried. Metabolomic studies based on GC-MS method was perfomed. A statistical analysis based on the MetaboAnalyst 5.0 platform was used.Results and discussion. Analysis of the chromatograms obtained using the GC-MS method revealed the content of 933 primary metabolites in the aboveground and underground parts of Comarum palustre L., 120 of which were identified. Using a number of statistical methods, 10 metabolites from monosaccharides, acids and alcohols, making the greatest contribution to the manifestation of differences between the studied samples, were identified.Conclusion. The study revealed the relationship between the composition of primary and secondary metabolites in medicinal plant raw materials.

Microalgae acclimatization in industrial wastewater and its effect on growth and primary metabolite composition

Microalgae cultivation is one of the crucial aspect in the commercialization of microalgae to produce high amount of biomass and metabolites. Most of the techniques that being implemented are high in cost and not economically feasible, hence, a more practical and feasible approach need to be proposed. This study investigated the effect of acclimatization of microalgae grown in anaerobic digested palm oil mill effluent (POME) toward their growth performance, as well as biochemical and pigment compositions. Four microalgal species were used, namely Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorella sorokiniana UKM3, Chlamydomonas sp. UKM6 and Scenedesmus sp. UKM9. The repeated acclimatization stages were carried out with the growth of microalgae reached stationary phase in each cycle. Biomass production and lag time were evaluated for the growth performance whereas metabolite yields were assessed for biochemical and pigment compositions. The findings showed enhancement in biomass production and shorter lag time for C. vulgaris, C. sorokiniana UKM3 and Scenedesmus sp. UKM9 due to acclimatization process. Biochemical and pigment production profiling displayed clear variations for all microalgal species with a remarkable increment in lipid contents for C. vulgaris and C. sorokiniana UKM3. The highest lipid contents in C. vulgaris and C. sorokiniana UKM3 were 71.9% and 49.7%, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) exhibited a clear and visible evaluation of biochemical and pigment compositions in acclimatized conditions. Microalgal growth performance and their biomass compositions were successfully enhanced by acclimatization, which subsequently proved that industrial wastewater such as anaerobic digested POME is a promising medium and acclimatization is a feasible process for future microalgae-based products.

Host Range Expansion of an Endemic Insect Herbivore is Associated With High Nitrogen and Low Fibre Content in Exotic Pasture Plants.

Endemic moth species of the genus Wiseana spp. (Hepialidae) have become serious pests of introduced pasture plants in New Zealand. The original native host plants of these moths have not been confirmed. This study investigated the performance (survival, development time, weight gain) of three Wiseana species on seven putative host plants: five native and two exotic species. The aim was to identify native hosts for the three Wiseana species and to compare their performance on native plants and exotic pasture plants. The chemical composition of the seven putative host plants was investigated to compare native and exotic plant chemistries, and to test for associations between plant characteristics and performance of selected Wiseana species. Carbon, nitrogen, silica and fibre contents were measured for each plant species; primary metabolite composition was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. For the three moth species, increased survival and weight gain were significantly associated with high nitrogen and low fibre contents in one exotic host plant, white clover (Trifolium repens), although one species, W. umbraculata, did not complete development to adult on any of the plants tested, including clover. Two exotic plants (T. repens, Lolium perenne × Lolium multiflorum), and two native plants (Aciphylla squarrosa and Festuca actae) supported W. copularis development to the adult stage, but only one exotic (T. repens) and one native (F. actae) species supported complete development of W. cervinata. Exotic and native plant species had distinct metabolite profiles, but there was no significant association between metabolite composition and Wiseana performance. We conclude that W. copularis and W. cervinata, but not W. umbraculata, have expanded their host range, because of their ability to use both native and new hosts. No evidence was found for a host shift, i.e., a loss of performance on the ancestral host compared with the new host.

Chemical characteristics of organic-based liquid inoculant of Bacillus spp

Bacillus is an important soil rhizobacteria of many food crops and utilized as active substance in biofertilizer due to plant growth promoting activity. The objective of this research was to identify nutrient’s profiles and composition of primary and secondary metabolites in organic-based liquid inoculant of Bacillus spp. Proximate and molecular analysis had been carried out in laboratory by using standard method. The results verified that liquid inoculant contained organic carbon of 2.02%; small quantity of nitrogen, phosphor, potassium; and micronutrients iron and zinc. Heavy metals included lead, cadmium and chromium were detected in small amount, under the threshold level of heavy metal in organic fertilizer. The composition of primary metabolites in liquid inoculant was 0.31% of carbohydrate, 0.17% of protein, and 0.08% of lipid. The phytohormone of Indole Acetic Acid, gibberellin and cytokinin; as well as organic acids were detected in significant amount. This study suggests that consortia of Bacillus spp. enabled to synthesize phytohormone, organic acid, and exopolysaccharide which are important to promote plant growth.

Characterization of the Primary Metabolome of Brachystegia boehmii and Colophospermum mopane under Different Fire Regimes in Miombo and Mopane African Woodlands.

Miombo and Mopane are ecological and economic important woodlands from Africa, highly affected by a combination of climate change factors, and anthropogenic fires. Although most species of these ecosystems are fire tolerant, the mechanisms that lead to adaptive responses (metabolic reconfiguration) are unknown. In this context, the aim of this study was to characterize the primary metabolite composition of typical legume trees from these ecosystems, namely, Brachystegia boehmii (Miombo) and Colophospermum mopane (Mopane) subjected to different fire regimes. Fresh leaves from each species were collected in management units and landscapes across varied fire frequencies in the Niassa National Reserve (NNR) and Limpopo National Park (LNP) in Mozambique. Primary metabolites were extracted and analyzed with a well-established gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry metabolomics platform (GC-TOF-MS). In B. boehmii, 39 primary metabolites were identified from which seven amino acids, two organic acids and two sugars increased significantly, whereas in C. mopane, 41 primary metabolites were identified from which eight amino acids, one sugar and two organic acids significantly increased with increasing fire frequency. The observed changes in the pool of metabolites of C. mopane might be related to high glycolytic and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) rate, which provided increased levels of amino acids and energy yield. In B. boehmii, the high levels of amino acids might be due to inhibition of protein biosynthesis. The osmoprotectant and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging properties of accumulated metabolites in parallel with a high-energy yield might support plants survival under fire stress.

The effects of plant nutritional strategy on soil microbial denitrification activity through rhizosphere primary metabolites.

The aim of this study was to determine (i) whether plant nutritional strategy affects the composition of primary metabolites exuded into the rhizosphere and (ii) the impact of exuded metabolites on denitrification activity in soil. We answered this question by analysing primary metabolite content extracted from the root-adhering soil (RAS) and the roots of three grasses representing different nutrient management strategies: conservative (Festuca paniculata), intermediate (Bromus erectus) and exploitative (Dactylis glomerata). We also investigated the impact of primary metabolites on soil microbial denitrification enzyme activity without carbon addition, comparing for each plant RAS and bulk soils. Our data show that plant nutritional strategy impacts on primary metabolite composition of root extracts or RAS. Further we show, for the first time, that RAS-extracted primary metabolites are probably better indicators to explain plant nutrient strategy than root-extracted ones. In addition, our results show that some primary metabolites present in the RAS were well correlated with soil microbial denitrification activity with positive relationships found between denitrification and the presence of some organic acids and negative ones with the presence of xylose. We demonstrated that the analysis of primary metabolites extracted from the RAS is probably more pertinent to evaluate the impact of plant on soil microbial community functioning.

Metabolomic signatures of increases in temperature and ocean acidification from the reef-building coral, Pocillopora damicornis

As a changing climate threatens the persistence of terrestrial and marine ecosystems by altering community composition and function, differential performance of taxa highlights the need for predictive metrics and mechanistic understanding of the factors underlying positive performance in the face of environmental disturbances. Biochemical reactions within cells provide a snapshot of molecular regulation and flexibility during exposure to environmental stressors. However, because the organism is the unit of selection there is a need for the integration of metabolite data with organism physiology to understand mechanisms responsible for individual success under a changing climate. Our study aims to characterize the molecular response of reef corals to simulated global climate change stressors. Furthermore, we seek to relate changes in the molecular physiology to observations in overall colony response. To this end, we applied a non-targeted metabolomic approach to describe lipid and primary metabolite composition after exposure of the reef-building coral Pocillopora damicornis to ambient and elevated experimental climate change conditions. We compared these metabolite data to organism physiology, specifically the key processes of photosynthesis, respiration, and calcification. Corals significantly altered their lipid and primary metabolite profiles in response to experimental treatments. Primary metabolite profiles predicted organisms’ net photosynthesis, but not calcification or respiration measures. Despite challenges in metabolome annotation, our data indicated corals alter carbohydrate composition, cell structural lipids, and signaling compounds in response to elevated treatment conditions. The integration of metabolite and physiological data highlights the predictive power of metabolomics in defining organism performance and provides biomarkers for future studies. Here, we present a multivariate biomarker approach to assess climate change impacts and advance our mechanistic understanding of stress response in this keystone species.

GC–MS metabolic profiling of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot cultivars during grapevine berry development and network analysis reveals a stage- and cultivar-dependent connectivity of primary metabolites

Information about the total chemical composition of primary metabolites during grape berry development is scarce, as are comparative studies trying to understand to what extent metabolite modifications differ between cultivars during ripening. Thus, correlating the metabolic profiles with the changes occurring in berry development and ripening processes is essential to progress in their comprehension as well in the development of new approaches to improve fruit attributes. Here, the developmental metabolic profiling analysis across six stages from flowering to fully mature berries of two cultivars, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, is reported at metabolite level. Based on a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry untargeted approach, 115 metabolites were identified and relative quantified in both cultivars. Sugars and amino acids levels show an opposite behaviour in both cultivars undergoing a highly coordinated shift of metabolite associated to primary metabolism during the stages involved in growth, development and ripening of berries. The changes are characteristic for each stage, the most pronounced ones occuring at fruit setting and pre-Veraison. They are associated to a reduction of the levels of metabolites present in the earlier corresponding stage, revealing a required catabolic activity of primary metabolites for grape berry developmental process. Network analysis revealed that the network connectivity of primary metabolites is stage- and cultivar-dependent, suggesting differences in metabolism regulation between both cultivars as the maturity process progresses. Furthermore, network analysis may represent an appropriate method to display the association between primary metabolites during berry developmental processes among different grapevine cultivars and for identifying potential biologically relevant metabolites.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11306-015-0927-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Arginine metabolism of Arabidopsis thaliana is modulated by Heterodera schachtii infection

The plant-parasitic cyst nematodeHeterodera schachtiiinduces syncytial feeding structures in the roots of host plants. These syncytia provide all required nutrients, water and solutes to the parasites. Previous studies on the composition of primary metabolites in syncytia revealed significantly increased amino acid levels. However, mainly due to technical limitations, little is known about the role of arginine in plant-nematode interactions. This free amino acid plays a central role in the plant primary metabolism and serves as substrate for metabolites involved in plant stress responses. Thus, in the present work, expression of genes coding for the enzymes of arginine metabolism were studied in nematode-induced syncytia compared to non-infected control roots ofArabidopsis thaliana. Further, amiRNA lines were constructed and T-DNA lines were isolated to test their effects on nematode development. While the silencing of genes involved in arginine synthesis increased nematode development, most T-DNA lines did not show any significant difference from the wild type. Amino acid analyses of syncytia showed that they accumulate high arginine levels. In addition, manipulating arginine cycling had a global effect on the local amino acid composition in syncytia as well as on the systemic amino acid levels in roots and shoots.

Off-the-Vine Ripening of Tomato Fruit Causes Alteration in the Primary Metabolite Composition.

The influence of postharvest fruit ripening in the composition of metabolites, transcripts and enzymes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is poorly understood. The goal of this work was to study the changes in the metabolite composition of the tomato fruit ripened off-the-vine using the cultivar Micro-Tom as model system. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) was used for analysis of the metabolic profile of tomato fruits ripened on- and off-the-vine. Significant differences under both ripening conditions were observed principally in the contents of fructose, glucose, aspartate and glutamate. Transcript levels and enzyme activities of -amino butyrate transaminase (EC 2.6.1.19) and glutamate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.15) showed differences in fruits ripened under these two conditions. These data indicate that the contents of metabolites involved in primary metabolism, and conferring the palatable properties of fruits, are altered when fruits are ripened off-the-vine.

The Influence of Early Yield on the Accumulation of Major Taste and Health-Related Compounds in Black and Red Currant Cultivars (Ribesspp.)

The focus of our study was to investigate the effect of crop load on the accumulation and composition of primary metabolites (sugars and organic acids), selected groups of flavonoids (anthocyanins and flavonols), and total phenolics in two subsequent years in four black currant cultivars ('Titania', 'Triton', 'Tsema', and 'Cacanska crna') and three red currant cultivars ('Junifer', 'Rolan', and 'Stanza'). For the determination and quantification of compounds, high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array with a mass spectrometer was used. Significant differences among cultivars were detected in all analyzed compounds. Anthocyanins were the predominant phenolic group and were more abundant in black currant cultivars as compared to red ones. Similar amounts of sugars and organic acids were measured in both Ribes species; however, vitamin C was 3-fold higher in black currants. A larger crop load in the second year had a negative effect on the sugar content of berries and promoted a higher degree of acids, with the exception of vitamin C, which was higher in the year with a lower crop load. On the other hand, the content of anthocyanins and flavonols was higher in the year with a larger crop load, while there were no differences in total phenolic content.

Production et composition des nectars extra—floraux deStigmaphyllon convolvulifoliumet dePassiflora glandulosa. Comparaison avec la teneur en métabolites primaires du phloème. Premiers résultats

Summary The extrafloral nectaries secretion of two species of llana from French Guiana (Stigmaphyllon convolvulifolium, Passiflora glandulosa) is collected each two hours during the secretory period. Some qualitative and quantitative tests are realised on nectar during two season dry (october-november) and wet (april-may). The secretion observed is different for the two species in dry season. Some differences are observed in the primary metabolites composition between the two nectars. Sugars are the most important metabolites of the nectar and they are more concentrated than in phloem sap. P. glandulosa contains more sucrose than S. convolvulifolium. Perharps, it is due to the action of the enzyme invertase contained in the nectar of S. convolvulifolium which hydrolyses the sucrose. The other primary metabolites are found in nectar in small quantity and in the same concentration than in phloem sap. The important quantity of carbohydrates in extrafloral nectar suggests an active transport of these compound...