Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis revealed the flavonoid biosynthesis and regulation in Areca catechu

Abstract

Introduction: Flavonoids are active substances in many herbal medicines, and Areca catechu fruit (AF), an important component in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is rich in flavonoids. Different parts of AF, Pericarpium Arecae (PA) and Semen Arecae (SA), have different medicinal effects in prescription of TCM. Objective: To understand flavonoid biosynthesis and regulation in AF. Methodology: The metabolomic based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and the transcriptome based on high-throughput sequencing technology were combined to comprehensively analyse PA and SA.Results: From the metabolite dataset, we found that 148 flavonoids showed significant differences between PA and SA. From the transcriptomic dataset, we identified 30 genes related to the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway which were differentially expressed genes in PA and SA. The genes encoding the key enzymes in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway, chalcone synthase and chalcone isomerase (AcCHS4/6/7 and AcCHI1/2/3), were significantly higher expressed in SA than in PA, reflecting the high flavonoid concentration in SA.Conclusions: Taken together, our research acquired the key genes, including AcCHS4/6/7 and AcCHI1/2/3, which regulated the accumulation of flavonol in AF. This new evidence may reveal different medicinal effects of PA and SA. This study lays a foundation for investigating the biosynthesis and regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis in areca and provides the reference for the production and consumption of betel nut.

Comparative metabolomics study on areca nut from China and Southeast Asia (Thailand and Indonesia)

“…The relative contents of alkaloids, amino acids, lignans and coumarins, lipids, phenolic acids, quinones, and tannins in Chinese areca nut seeds were higher than those in Southeast Asian areca nut seeds (Figure 4). Previous studies have shown that some chemical components in areca nuts exhibit pharmacological effects 35 . For example, catechins show significant antiplatelet effects, 20 and proanthocyanidins can significantly inhibit the gluconeogenesis of mouse primary hepatocytes induced by cyclic adenosine monophosphate/dexamethasone (cAMP/Dex) 36 .…”

“…Previous studies have shown that some chemical components in areca nuts exhibit pharmacological effects. 35 For example, catechins show significant antiplatelet effects, 20 and proanthocyanidins can significantly inhibit the gluconeogenesis of mouse primary hepatocytes induced by cyclic adenosine monophosphate/dexamethasone (cAMP/Dex). 36 The above results indicate that areca nut seeds from different producing areas contain many other non-alkaloids, non-polyphenols, and other metabolites beneficial to the human body, and areca nut seeds from Chinese producing areas possess a higher content of active compounds that could play a more important role in human health.…”

Development and application of mass spectrometric molecular networking for analyzing the ingredients of areca nut

“…Currently, a variety of methods exist for detecting components in plants, including techniques like nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 16,17 thin layer chromatography (TLC), 18,19 liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), 20–23 and more. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, owing to its high resolution and sensitivity, offers significant advantages for analyzing complex systems.…”

Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses of the effects of bagging treatment on carotenoid biosynthesis and regulation of Areca catechu L.

“…Currently, research on areca nut fruit histology involves exploring fruit developmental rules, studying fruit nutrients (flavonoids, vitamin B, etc. ), while there is still in the relative blank stage of exploring areca nut exocarp color ( Ya et al., 2020 ; Yu et al., 2023 ; Zhou et al., 2023 ).…”