Comprehensive Metabolic Profiling in Fruits

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2023) | Viewed by 4110

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona; 15, Strada Le Grazie, Verona, Italy
Interests: plant biology; plant metabolomics; ethnobotany; pharmaceutical botany

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fruits are complex and dynamic biological systems whose metabolome is continuously reshaped throughout distinct physiological phases under the control of the plant genetic program and the effect of concomitant environmental conditions. Thanks to the integration of high-throughput metabolomics techniques with other omics sciences, the knowledge of fruit biology, from both botanical and nutraceutical perspectives, has greatly improved, leading to the identification and characterization of a wide range of fruit primary and specialized metabolites that might cover important physiological functions or that are associated to quality-related traits and health-promoting activities. Nonetheless, while a huge amount of literature keeps reporting advancements in the study of fruits produced by high-valuable crop species, further efforts are required to investigate the metabolomes of fruits from wild and newly cultivated ones.

In this Special Issue of Metabolites entitled “Comprehensive metabolic profiling of fruits” we invite authors to present original research papers in which metabolomics techniques are exploited, alone or in combination with other omics approaches, to provide relevant information to one or more of the following research topics concerning the metabolomics of fruits:   

  • elucidation of the metabolic profiles of fruits in plant species or varieties still poorly investigated;
  • characterization of primary or specialized metabolites and of the metabolic changes associated to different physiological stages (fruit formation, development, ripening, senescence) or fruit tissues;
  • evaluation of the impact of environmental conditions, agronomical practices and post-harvest treatments on the fruit metabolome;
  • profiling of fruit bioactive phytochemicals with potential applications for human health and well-being;
  • methodological aspects and challenges related to the metabolic profiling in fruits (from metabolite extraction to data analysis and integration).

Dr. Stefano Negri
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • fruit metabolome
  • metabolomics
  • metabolic profiling
  • primary metabolites
  • specialized metabolites
  • bioactive compounds

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 7161 KiB  
Article
Integrative Analysis of Metabolome and Transcriptome Reveals Molecular Insight into Metabolomic Variations during Hawthorn Fruit Development
by Yan Wang, Ruixin Hao, Rongkun Guo, Huilan Nong, Yu Qin and Ningguang Dong
Metabolites 2023, 13(3), 423; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13030423 - 13 Mar 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1776
Abstract
Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida var. major), a cultivated fruit tree, is native and unique to China. Its fruits have high nutritional, health, and medicinal values. However, the development and ripening process of hawthorns is accompanied by dramatic changes in flavor, aroma, and [...] Read more.
Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida var. major), a cultivated fruit tree, is native and unique to China. Its fruits have high nutritional, health, and medicinal values. However, the development and ripening process of hawthorns is accompanied by dramatic changes in flavor, aroma, and bioactive phytochemicals, which are the fundamental factors that contribute to the potential health benefits and establishment of fruit quality. Therefore, an exploration of the dynamic changes in metabolites and their regulatory networks during the development of hawthorn fruits can elucidate the formation mechanisms of active substances in hawthorn fruits. In this study, we used a broad targeted metabolomics approach to identify and analyze the dynamics of metabolites in hawthorn fruits at five developmental stages. The results revealed 998 primary and secondary metabolites that were classified into 15 categories. The accumulation levels of most sugars increased during fruit development and then accelerated at the fruit ripening stage. The accumulation levels of a few organic acids (e.g., citric acid, isocitric acid, and quinic acid) continuously increased. Many organic acids exhibited significant decreasing trends. Among the 561 secondary metabolites detected, 189 were phenolic acids and 199 were flavonoids. The levels of many flavonoids were significantly reduced at later stages of fruit development; in contrast, the levels of two anthocyanins significantly increased during fruit ripening. Correlation analysis revealed that there is a certain correlation within and between primary as well as secondary metabolites during fruit development. Furthermore, the integration of metabolomic and transcriptomic data in this study revealed that changes in the expression of some differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were associated with the accumulation of metabolites such as sugars, organic acids, and flavonoids, e.g., the upregulated expression levels of CS (citrate synthase) genes were consistent with the continued accumulation of citric acid. Overall, this study demonstrates the metabolic changes that occur during the development of hawthorn fruit, explores the molecular mechanisms that underlie metabolite changes during fruit development, and lays a strong theoretical foundation for the improvement of hawthorn fruit quality and the development of functional components. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Comprehensive Metabolic Profiling in Fruits)
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21 pages, 4324 KiB  
Article
Integrated Analysis of Widely Targeted Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Reveals the Effects of Transcription Factor NOR-like1 on Alkaloids, Phenolic Acids, and Flavonoids in Tomato at Different Ripening Stages
by Xinyu Yang, Xiaodan Zhao, Daqi Fu and Ying Zhao
Metabolites 2022, 12(12), 1296; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12121296 - 19 Dec 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1822
Abstract
Tomato is abundant in alkaloids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids; however, the effect of transcription factor NOR-like1 on these metabolites in tomato is unclear. We used a combination of widely targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics to analyze wild-type tomatoes and CR-NOR-like1 tomatoes. A total of [...] Read more.
Tomato is abundant in alkaloids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids; however, the effect of transcription factor NOR-like1 on these metabolites in tomato is unclear. We used a combination of widely targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics to analyze wild-type tomatoes and CR-NOR-like1 tomatoes. A total of 83 alkaloids, 85 phenolic acids, and 96 flavonoids were detected with significant changes. Combined with a KEGG enrichment analysis, we revealed 16 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in alkaloid-related arginine and proline metabolism, 60 DEGs were identified in the phenolic acid-related phenylpropane biosynthesis, and 30 DEGs were identified in the flavonoid-related biosynthesis pathway. In addition, some highly correlated differential-expression genes with differential metabolites were further identified by correlation analysis. The present research provides a preliminary view of the effects of NOR-like1 transcription factor on alkaloid, phenolic acid, and flavonoid accumulation in tomatoes at different ripening stages based on widely targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics in plants, laying the foundation for extending fruit longevity and shelf life as well as cultivating stress-resistant plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Comprehensive Metabolic Profiling in Fruits)
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