Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Reveal that Diarylheptanoids Vary in Amomum tsao-ko Fruit Development

Abstract

Amomum tsao-ko is an important spice and medicinal plant that has received extensive attention in recent years for its high content of bioactive constituents with the potential for food additives and drug development. Diarylheptanoids are major and characteristic compounds in A. tsao-ko; however, the biochemical and molecular foundation of diarylheptanoids in fruit is unknown. We performed comparative metabolomics and transcriptomics studies in the ripening stages of A. tsao-ko fruit. The chemical constituents of fruit vary in different harvest periods, and the diarylheptanoids have a trend to decrease or increase with fruit development. GO enrichment analysis revealed that plant hormone signaling pathways including the ethylene-activated signaling pathway, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, abscisic acid, and response to hydrogen peroxide were associated with fruit ripening. The biosynthetic pathways including phenylpropanoid, flavonoids, and diarylheptanoids biosynthesis were displayed in high enrichment levels in ripening fruit. The molecular networking and phytochemistry investigation of A. tsao-ko fruit has isolated and identified 10 diarylheptanoids including three new compounds. The candidate genes related to diarylheptanoids were obtained by coexpression network analysis and phylogenetic analysis. Two key genes have been verified to biosynthesize linear diarylheptanoids. This integrative approach provides gene regulation and networking associated with the biosynthesis of characteristic diarylheptanoids, which can be used to improve the quality of A. tsao-ko as food and medicine.

Analysis of Chemical Changes during Maturation of Amomum tsao-ko Based on GC-MS, FT-NIR, and FT-MIR

“…Plants whose seeds or fruits are used for medicinal purposes are harvested at or near natural maturity. In southwestern China, A. tsao-ko is more widely planted, but lacks a systematic management system, the quality of each planting area varies greatly, the harvest time is uncertain, and even the phenomenon that the harvest time of the same planting area is different every year. , The months of September and October are the main times for harvesting. As a result, there is also a large variation in the quality of A. tsao-ko circulating in the market.…”

“…Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation of the quality of A. tsao-ko at different stages of maturity is of interest, and the search for a fast, convenient, and accurate method for characterizing and analyzing chemical information is an important need for the industry. In Yunnan Province, the planting area of A. tsao-ko has exceeded 2.2 million acres, but the lack of scientific planting methods has resulted in low yields in most planting areas . Varietal improvement and scientific and efficient cultivation may be important ways to increase yields .…”

“…In Yunnan Province, the planting area of A. tsao-ko has exceeded 2.2 million acres, but the lack of scientific planting methods has resulted in low yields in most planting areas. 6 Varietal improvement and scientific and efficient cultivation may be important ways to increase yields. 7 Therefore, in the present study, in order to explore a comprehensive analytical approach for the harvesting of A. tsao-ko , phenotypic and chemical analyses of A. tsao-ko at different stages of maturity were performed.…”