Comparative metabolomics revealed the effect of high altitude on the metabolic pattern of Polygonum viviparum L

Abstract

As a main medicinal plants in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Polygonum viviparum L. could improve a range of disease. However, the effects of altitude changes in affecting the metabolic compositions in Polygonum viviparum L. was still unclear. Presently, we deployed comparative metabolomics analysis to investigate the metabolic variations in Polygonum viviparum L. from high and low altitudes (NQ and SN). We found that the medicinal activity and accumulation of bioactive metabolites in Polygonum viviparum L. were closely correlated with the region altitude. High altitude induced dramatic changes in metabolic compositions of Polygonum viviparum L.. And a variety of flavonoids, soluble sugar, amino acids and lipids were highly accumulated in Polygonum viviparum L. from high altitude region. The accumulation of these metabolites was mainly associated with the UVB exposure, which explained the adaptive mechanisms of Polygonum viviparum L. to numerous abiotic stresses represented by hypoxia and UV exposure at high altitude region. Additionally, Arachidonic acid, Stearidonic acid and Procyanidin B2 were identified as the hub upregulated metabolites that contributed to the medicinal value in Polygonum viviparum L. under NQ condition. And these metabolites could affect the expression level of numerous genes involved in hypoxia-related diseases and immune system, demonstrating the higher medicinal value of Polygonum viviparum L. from high altitude. Overall, our metabolic profiles gain insight into the effects of altitude in altering the medicinal value of Polygonum viviparum L., thus contributed to the usage of such medicinal plants in improving diseases in high altitude region.