Metabolomic analysis of raw Pinelliae Rhizoma and its alum-processed products via UPLC-MS and their cytotoxicity

An effective strategy for exploring the taste markers in alum-processed Pinellia ternata tuber based on the analysis of substance and taste by LC-MS and electronic tongue

OBJECTIVE

To explore the taste-related quality markers of Qingbanxia, the alum-processed Pinellia ternata tuber.

METHODS

Eighteen samples of Banxia and Qingbanxia were analyzed by the Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Q-Exactive Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry. Data of all samples were pre-processed by Compound Discoverer 3.3 Software. The discrimination was analyzed by Principal Component Aanalysis, and Orthogonal Partial Least-square Discriminant Analysis. The chemical markers were identified by MS/MS fragments based on the fragment rules. The electronic tongue was utilized to determine the taste traits of Banxia and Qingbanxia. Furthermore, the taste-related material basis was discovered according to correlation analysis and molecular docking.

RESULTS

Sixteen potential chemical markers of Banxia and Qingbanxia were identified. Lauryldiethanolamine is a unique bitter component. The taste spectrum of bitterness, sourness and umami changes significantly during the processing of Banxia, with sourness increasing and bitterness and umami decreasing.

CONCLUSION

A new approach to explore the taste-related quality markers in alum-processed Banxia was established for the first time based on the Orbitrap MS technology and electronic tongue technology. The bitterness chemical markers were identified for the first time. The mechanism of the sourness of Qingbanxia was clarified. The identification of taste-related quality markers and the generation of comprehensive taste profiles offer an objective and reproducible method for assessing processing efficacy, overcoming the limitations of traditional subjective taste tests. These findings have significant implications for the quality control of Banxia and other traditional Chinese medicine.

Mechanism research on inhibition of gastric cancer in vitro by the extract of Pinellia ternata based on network pharmacology and cellular metabolomics

Background and purpose

Gastric cancer is a kind of malignant tumor with high incidence and high mortality, which has strong tumor heterogeneity. A classic Chinese medicine, Pinellia ternata (PT), was shown to exert therapeutic effects on gastric cancer cells. However, its chemical and pharmacological profiles remain to be elucidated. In the current study, we aimed to reveal the mechanism of PT in treating gastric cancer cells through metabolomic analysis and network pharmacology.

Methods

Metabolomic analysis of two strains of gastric cancer cells treated with the Pinellia ternata extract (PTE) was used to identify differential metabolites, and the metabolic pathways were enriched by MetaboAnalyst. Then, network pharmacology was applied to dig out the potential targets against gastric cancer cells induced by PTE. The integrated network of metabolomics and network pharmacology was constructed based on Cytoscape.

Results

The PTE was confirmed to significantly inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of HGC-27 and BGC-823 cells. The results of cellular metabolomics showed that 61 metabolites were differently expressed in gastric cancer cells of the experimental and control groups. Through pathway enrichment analysis, 16 metabolites were found to be involved in the glycerophospholipid metabolism, purine metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and tryptophan metabolism. Combined with network pharmacology, seven bioactive compounds were found in PT, and the networks of bioactive compound-target gene-metabolic enzyme-metabolite interactions were constructed.

Conclusions

In conclusion, this study revealed the complicated mechanisms of PT against gastric cancer. Our work provides a novel paradigm to identify the potential mechanisms of pharmacological effects derived from a natural compound.

Pinelliae Rhizoma: a systematic review on botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, preclinical and clinical evidence

Pinelliae Rhizoma (PR), known as Banxia in Chinese, Hange in Japanese, and Banha in Korean, is a renowned herbal medicine in East Asia derived from the dry tuber of Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit. (PT). It is extensively utilized in dispensing granules, classical prescriptions, and herbal formulas to treat various conditions, including cough, infection, phlegm, nausea, asthma, and inflammation. Despite numerous studies on PR and its classical prescriptions over recent decades, a comprehensive synthesis of available evidence regarding its multifunctional roles and therapeutic potential is lacking. This review aims to address this gap by examining emerging evidence from metabonomics, preclinical studies, and clinical trials, while exploring potential trends and prospects for future research. A systematic literature search was conducted across six electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, to identify relevant articles on PR published until March 2023. PR contains 107 compounds with diverse pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, immune regulatory, anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-asthma, antitussive and expectorant, antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-microbial, emetic and anti-emetic, anti-convulsant and anti-epileptic, sedative and hypnotic, learning and memory enhancement, and anti-depressant effects. Metabonomic studies suggest that raw PR may exhibit cardiotoxicity and pregnancy toxicity while showing no apparent hepatorenal toxicity. However, limited pharmacokinetic investigations on PR constrain its clinical translation. Furthermore, clinical safety data on PR is scarce, with only four clinical trials assessing its positive effects in pediatric epilepsy, nausea and vomiting, soft tissue injury, and chronic sinus tract. This review aims to enhance understanding of PR and provide valuable information and recommendations for further research and development of herbal medicine.

Food processing drives the toxic lectin reduction and bioactive peptide enhancement in Pinellia ternata

Processing can change the properties and flavors of food. Many plants in the Araceae family can be used as food or medicine, but their raw materials are usually toxic, such as Pinellia ternata tuber (PTT). After processing (processed PTT, PPTT), its toxicity is reduced. However, the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, a novel approach integrating liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, feature-based molecular networking (FBMN), de novo sequencing, and protein database searching was applied to rapidly discover and characterize peptides in PPTT. Potential antihypertensive peptides were screened using in silico methods, angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory assay, and molecular docking analysis. A significant decrease was observed in toxic lectins after processing. Meanwhile, a total of 1954 mass spectral nodes were discovered in PPTT, of which 130 were annotated as peptides by FBMN. These peptides, ranging from 2 to 21 amino acids, were rapidly identified using PEAKS. Notably, 98 peptides were derived from lectins, most of which increased after processing. Approximately 30% of identified peptides were screened for potential high antihypertensive activity in silico. Five peptides exhibited inhibitory effects on ACE, with two showing IC50 values of 131 and 185 μM. Dynamic profiling indicated that 7-9 days of processing is optimal for reducing toxicity and enhancing efficacy. More importantly, these peptides were also found in commercial PPTT, confirming their bioactivity contributions. These findings provide insights into the mechanism by which food processing drives the toxic lectin reduction and bioactive peptide enhancement in PTT, providing a novel approach to rapidly discover bioactive peptides, which can be extended to other foods in Araceae family.

Spatial Metabolomic Profiling of Pinelliae Rhizoma from Different Leaf Types Using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging

Pinelliae Rhizoma (PR), a highly esteemed traditional Chinese medicinal herb, is widely applied in clinical settings due to its diverse pharmacological effects, including antitussive, expectorant, antiemetic, sedative-hypnotic, and antitumor activities. Pinellia ternata exhibits morphological variation in its leaves, with types resembling peach, bamboo, and willow leaves. However, the chemical composition differences among the corresponding rhizomes of these leaf phenotypes remain unelucidated. This pioneering research employed Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MALDI-MSI) to conduct the in situ identification and spatial profiling of 35 PR metabolites in PR, comprising 12 alkaloids, 4 organic acids, 12 amino acids, 5 flavonoids, 1 sterol, and 1 anthraquinone. Our findings revealed distinct spatial distribution patterns of secondary metabolites within the rhizome tissues of varying leaf types. Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) effectively differentiated between rhizomes associated with different leaf morphologies. Furthermore, this study identified five potential differential biomarkers-methylophiopogonanone B, inosine, cytidine, adenine, and leucine/isoleucine-that elucidate the biochemical distinctions among leaf types. The precise tissue-specific localization of these secondary metabolites offers compelling insights into the specialized accumulation of bioactive compounds in medicinal plants, thereby enhancing our comprehension of PR's therapeutic potential.

A comprehensive strategy based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector fingerprinting and multi-component ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry technology for quality control of Jiawei Huoxiang Zhengqi Pill

Jiawei Huoxiang Zhengqi Pill (JHZP) is a commonly used Chinese patent medicine for the clinical treatment of headache, dizziness, chest tightness as well as abdominal distension, and pain caused by wind-cold flu. In this study, a comprehensive strategy combining ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (UHPLC-DAD) fingerprinting and multi-component quantitative analysis was established and validated for quality evaluation of JHZP. A total of 49 characteristic common peaks were selected in a chromatographic fingerprinting study to assess the similarity of 15 batches of JHZP. Furthermore, 109 compounds were identified or preliminarily identified from JHZP by coupling with an advanced hybrid linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. For quantification, the optimized ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was employed for the simultaneous determination of 13 target compounds within 12 min. The sensitivity, precision, reproducibility, and accuracy of the method were satisfactory. This validated UPLC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to analyzing 15 batches of JHZP. The proposed comprehensive strategy combining UHPLC-DAD fingerprinting and multi-component UPLC-MS/MS analysis proved to be highly efficient, accurate, and reliable for the quality evaluation of JHZP, which can be considered as a reference for the overall quality evaluation of other Chinese herbal formulations.

Untargeted Metabolomics Based on Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Quadrupole Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Differential Metabolite Analysis of Pinelliae Rhizoma and Its Adulterants

The present study investigates the chemical composition variances among Pinelliae Rhizoma, a widely used Chinese herbal medicine, and its common adulterants including Typhonium flagelliforme, Arisaema erubescens, and Pinellia pedatisecta. Utilizing the non-targeted metabolomics technique of employing UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS, this research aims to comprehensively delineate the metabolic profiles of Pinelliae Rhizoma and its adulterants. Multivariate statistical methods including PCA and OPLS-DA are employed for the identification of differential metabolites. Volcano plot analysis is utilized to discern upregulated and downregulated compounds. KEGG pathway analysis is conducted to elucidate the differences in metabolic pathways associated with these compounds, and significant pathway enrichment analysis is performed. A total of 769 compounds are identified through metabolomics analysis, with alkaloids being predominant, followed by lipids and lipid molecules. Significant differential metabolites were screened out based on VIP > 1 and p-value < 0.05 criteria, followed by KEGG enrichment analysis of these differential metabolites. Differential metabolites between Pinelliae Rhizoma and Typhonium flagelliforme, as well as between Pinelliae Rhizoma and Pinellia pedatisecta, are significantly enriched in the biosynthesis of amino acids and protein digestion and absorption pathways. Differential metabolites between Pinelliae Rhizoma and Arisaema erubescens are mainly enriched in tyrosine metabolism and phenylalanine metabolism pathways. These findings aim to provide valuable data support and theoretical references for further research on the pharmacological substances, resource development and utilization, and quality control of Pinelliae Rhizoma.

Transcriptome analysis reveals important regulatory genes and pathways for tuber color variation in Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit

During the growth of Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit. (P. ternata), the violet-red skin was occasionally produced spontaneously under natural cultivation. However, the specific mechanism leading to the color change is still unclear. This study performed transcriptomes in violet-red and pale-yellow skin and their peeled tubers of P. ternata, and the total flavonoids and anthocyanin contents were also determined. The results showed that the majority of genes involved in anthocyanin production were considerably increased in the violet-red skin of P. ternata tuber compared to the pale-yellow skin. Especially, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and chalcone synthase (CHS) showed a remarkable increase in gene expression levels. Notably, shikimate O-hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (HCT), naringenin 3-dioxygenase (F3H), flavanone 4-reductase (DFR), and anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) were explicitly expressed in violet-red skin of P. ternata tuber, while undetectable in pale-yellow skin. The upregulation of these genes may explain the accumulation of anthocyanins, which forms the violet-red skin of P. ternata tuber. The transcription factors, including C2H2, bZIP, ERF, GATA, bHLH, C3H, NAC, MYB-related, and MYB families, might trigger the skin color change in P. ternata. The entire anthocyanin content in the violet-red skin of P. ternata tuber was 71.10 μg/g, and pale-yellow skin was 7.74 μg/g. According to phenotypic and transcriptome results, the elevated expression levels of genes linked to the synthesis of anthocyanins considerably contributed to the violet-red skin alterations in P. ternata tuber. This study provides a new understanding of the formation of the violet-red skin, lays a theoretical foundation for the cultivation of unique varieties of P. ternata, and provides transcriptome data for further study of the differences between different colors of P. ternata.

UPLC-QTOF-MS with a chemical profiling approach for holistic quality evaluation between a material reference of Wen Dan decoction and its commercial preparations

BACKGROUND

Wen Dan decoction (WDD) has been a famous classic formula for resolving phlegm since ancient times in China. Currently, there are many types of WDD commercial preparations produced through modern technology. However, it is not known whether the holistic quality of WDD commercial preparations is consistent with the traditional decocting method to exert its proper effects. Therefore, the WDD material reference was studied and prepared, which can represent the traditional Chinese formulation WDD.

METHODS

A method based on UPLC-QTOF-MS was developed to evaluate the quality of WDD material reference and commercial prescriptions. At the same time, the multivariate statistical method was used to compare the differences between the material reference and the commercial prescription by principal component analysis (PCA) and heatmap. Finally, the UPLC-QTOF-MS method was established to quantitatively study 11 representative components, including naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, liquiritin, glycyrrhizic acid, adenosine, liquiritigenin, tangeretin, eriocitrin, naringenin and synephrine.

RESULTS

A total of 107 compounds were identified in the WDD material reference by comparing the retention time and fragment ion characteristics, including 54 flavonoids, 14 triterpenes, 10 organic acids, 7 alkaloids, 7 coumarins and 15 other components. The samples were almost evenly split into two groups, indicating a difference in quality between the WDD material reference and its commercial preparations in multivariate statistical analysis. Eleven major components of linearity, precision, repeatability, stability and recovery rate met the requirements, which were clearly different in commercial preparations and WDD material references. In terms of the content of 11 components in the commercial preparation, only CP8 is close to the material reference, which is in agreement with the statistical analysis of the heatmap. The concentrations of naringin and neohesperidin from the WDD material reference were higher than those from the commercial preparations.

CONCLUSIONS

The quality evaluation method established in this study can be used to identify different sources of WDD but also proves that the WDD material reference contains higher naringin. Furthermore, this study confirmed that the preparation technology of WDD commercial prescriptions should be optimized on the basis of WDD material references, producing the closest possible clinical basis for the substance.

Pinellia genus: A systematic review of active ingredients, pharmacological effects and action mechanism, toxicological evaluation, and multi-omics application

The dried tuber of Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit, Pinelliae Rhizoma (PR, also named 'Banxia' in Chinese), is widely used in traditional medicine. This review aims to provide detail summary of active ingredients, pharmacological effects, toxic ingredients, detoxification strategies, and omic researches, etc. Pharmacological ingredients from PR are mainly classified into six categories: alkaloids, amino acids, polysaccharides, phenylpropanoids, essential oils, and glucocerebrosides. Diversity of chemical composition determines the broad-spectrum efficacy and gives a foundation for the comprehensive utilization of P. ternata germplasm resources. The pharmacological compounds are involved in inhibition of cancer cells by targeting various pathways, including activation of immune system, inhibition of proliferation and cycle, induction of apoptosis, and inhibition of angiogenesis. The pharmacological components of PR act on nervous system by targeting neurotransmitters, activating immune system, decreasing apoptosis, and increasing redox system. Lectins, one major class of the toxic ingredients extracted from raw PR, possess significant toxic effects on human cells. Inflammatory factors, cytochrome P450 proteins (CYP) family enzymes, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling factors, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling factors, and nervous system, are considered to be the target sites of lectins. Recently, omic analysis is widely applied in Pinellia genus studies. Plastome genome-based molecular markers are deeply used for identifying and resolving phylogeny of Pinellia genus plants. Various omic works revealed and functional identified a series of environmental stress responsive factors and active component biosynthesis-related genes. Our review summarizes the recent progress in active and toxic ingredient evaluation, pharmacological effects, detoxification strategies, and functional gene identification and accelerates efficient utilization of this traditional herb.

Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry coupled with three-step data post-processing techniques for comprehensive profiling of the multiple components in Fufang Xianzhuli Ye

INTRODUCTION

Fufang Xianzhuli (FXZL) Ye, a classical formula of traditional Chinese medicine, is composed of Succus Bambusae, Houttuyniae herba, Pinelliae Rhizoma, Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens, Eriobotryae Folium, Platycodonis Radix, and peppermint oil. For many years, FXZL has been primarily utilised in China to treat cough and phlegm. The chemical composition of FXZL has not been reported, which seriously affects the safety of the clinical application.

OBJECTIVE

To establish a systematic method for rapidly classifying and recognising the chemical constituents in the FXZL for the safety of the clinical application.

METHODS

An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry coupled with a three-step data post-processing strategy was developed to screen the chemical constituents of FXZL.

RESULTS

In this experiment, the diagnostic ions in FXZL were classified into six main compounds. A total of 106 compounds were unambiguously identified in FXZL based on their retention times, accurate masses, and tandem mass spectrometry data. These include 11 chlorogenic acids, three flavonoids, eight sesquiterpenoids, six organic acids, 65 triterpenoid saponins, and 13 other compounds.

CONCLUSION

The chemical composition of FXZL was identified and summarised, providing useful information for quality control and a basis for further exploration of its active ingredients in vivo.

Involvement of PtPHR1 in phosphates starvation-induced alkaloid biosynthesis in Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit

Nowadays, because of the great benefit to human health, more and more efforts have been made to increase the production of alkaloids in Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit. Phosphate (Pi) plays a critical role in plant growth and development, as well as secondary metabolism. However, its effect and regulation mechanism of Pi signaling on alkaloid biosynthesis call for further exploration. Here, we reported that Pi starvation could induce alkaloid accumulation in P. ternata. We cloned a cDNA sequence encoding PtPHR1 from P. ternata, which was further identified by nuclear localization, transcription activity, and binding ability to the PHR1-binding sequence. We found that the transformation of PtPHR1 into the Arabidopsis phr1 mutant (designated as PtPHR1OE/phr1) led to the rescue of the phenotype of the phr1 mutant to that of the wild-type, including the expression level of Pi starvation-induced genes and anthocyanin accumulation. The combination of these biochemical and genetic experiments indicated that PtPHR1 was intended to have a role similar to that of AtPHR1 in Pi signaling and metabolic responses. Interestingly, we found that Pi starvation also induced the production of benzoic acid, an intermediate in the biosynthetic pathway of phenylpropylamino alkaloids. Furthermore, this induction effect was impaired in the phr1 mutant but partly recovered in PtPHR1OE/phr1 plants. Together, our data suggest that Pi starvation promoted benzoic acid-derived alkaloid biosynthesis in P. ternata under the control of PtPHR1. Our finding that PtPHR1 is involved in the regulation of Pi signaling on alkaloid biosynthesis shows a direct link between the Pi nutrient supply and secondary metabolism.

From metabolomic analysis to quality assessment and biosynthetic insight in traditional Chinese medicine: Mulberry tree as a case study

INTRODUCTION

Ramulus Mori (RM, Sangzhi) and Cortex Mori (CM, Sangbaipi) both come from the Chinese medicinal plant mulberry tree. CM is usually used to relieve cough, while RM is usually used to treat pain. There are no studies on the quality control of RM and CM based on their analgesic and anti-inflammatory constituents associated with their traditional use. The chemical profiles of CM and RM were confusing. Some CM had similar profiles to RM, but some did not.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to reveal the chemical differences between RM and CM and to evaluate their quality.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Their chemical differences were studied using metabolomic analysis based on UHPLC-ESI-MS data. The contents of five quality marker candidates were determined by UHPLC-PDA. The analgesic activities of morusin and kuwanon C were assessed by an acetic acid-induced writhing test.

RESULTS

CM was characterized by chemical diversity, whereas RM had good homogeneity. Four groups of CM were classified based on their chemicals. The chemical profiles of CM group 4 were more similar to that of RM. Eighteen putative features were identified based on an MS-Finder search and fragmentation rules. Content limits for four quality markers with anti-inflammatory or analgesic activities were proposed for RM. Furthermore, a possible biosynthetic relationship between kuwanon C, kuwanon G, and morusin was hypothesized based on the high Pearson coefficient between kuwanon G and morusin.

CONCLUSION

The obtained results may be useful in the evaluation of RM and CM and afford insight into the biosynthetic pathway of Diels-Alder adducts in Morus.

Elucidating the Synergistic Effect of Multiple Chinese Herbal Prescriptions in the Treatment of Post-stroke Neurological Damage

Background: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used in the treatment of human diseases. However, the synergistic effects of multiple TCM prescriptions in the treatment of stroke have not been thoroughly studied.

Objective of the study: This study aimed to reveal the mechanisms underlying the synergistic effects of these TCM prescriptions in stroke treatment and identify the active compounds.

Methods: Herbs and compounds in the Di-Tan Decoction (DTD), Xue-Fu Zhu-Yu Decoction (XFZYD), and Xiao-Xu-Ming Decoction (XXMD) were acquired from the TCMSP database. SEA, HitPick, and TargetNet web servers were used for target prediction. The compound-target (C-T) networks of three prescriptions were constructed and then filtered using the collaborative filtering algorithm. We combined KEGG enrichment analysis, molecular docking, and network analysis approaches to identify active compounds, followed by verification of these compounds with an oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) model.

Results: The filtered DTD network contained 39 compounds and 534 targets, the filtered XFZYD network contained 40 compounds and 508 targets, and the filtered XXMD network contained 55 compounds and 599 targets. The filtered C-T networks retained approximately 80% of the biological functions of the original networks. Based on the enriched pathways, molecular docking, and network analysis results, we constructed a complex network containing 3 prescriptions, 14 botanical drugs, 26 compounds, 13 targets, and 5 pathways. By calculating the synergy score, we identified the top 5 candidate compounds. The experimental results showed that quercetin, baicalin, and ginsenoside Rg1 independently and synergistically increased cell viability.

Conclusion: By integrating pharmacological and chemoinformatic approaches, our study provides a new method for identifying the effective synergistic compounds of TCM prescriptions. The filtered compounds and their synergistic effects on stroke require further research.

Effect of mineral excipients on processing traditional Chinese medicines: an insight into the components, pharmacodynamics and mechanism

Traditional Chinese medicines are an important class of natural products mainly derives from animals, plants and minerals, most of which need to be improved and processed before clinical use due to their own hard texture, impurities or toxicity. As an important part of solid excipients, mineral excipients that contain some metal elements play indispensable and unique roles in the pretreatment process of traditional Chinese medicine. However, deficiency of holistic understanding of the effect of mineral excipients hinders their application and development. This article reviews several mineral excipients including alumen, talci pulvis, soil, soda lime, halloysitum rubrum and cinnabaris systemically. Their processing significance on traditional Chinese medicines were revealed from components, pharmacodynamics and mechanism aspects. Furthermore, prospect and problems including processing technologies, quality standards of mineral excipients and processing mechanism were put forward. This review supply comprehensive information for better and scientific usage of mineral excipients in processing traditional Chinese medicines.

Metabolic Profiling of Water-Soluble Compounds from the Extracts of Dark Septate Endophytic Fungi (DSE) Isolated from Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Seedlings Using UPLC-Orbitrap-MS

Endophytes are microorganisms living inside plant hosts and are known to be beneficial for the host plant vitality. In this study, we isolated three endophytic fungus species from the roots of Scots pine seedlings growing on Finnish drained peatland setting. The isolated fungi belonged to dark septate endophytes (DSE). The metabolic profiles of the hot water extracts of the fungi were investigated using Ultrahigh Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detection and Electron Spray Ionization source Mass Spectrometry with Orbitrap analyzer (UPLC-DAD-ESI-MS-Orbitrap). Out of 318 metabolites, we were able to identify 220, of which a majority was amino acids and peptides. Additionally, opine amino acids, amino acid quinones, Amadori compounds, cholines, nucleobases, nucleosides, nucleotides, siderophores, sugars, sugar alcohols and disaccharides were found, as well as other previously reported metabolites from plants or endophytes. Some differences of the metabolic profiles, regarding the amount and identity of the found metabolites, were observed even though the fungi were isolated from the same host. Many of the discovered metabolites have been described possessing biological activities and properties, which may make a favorable contribution to the host plant nutrient availability or abiotic and biotic stress tolerance.