Analysis of Differential Metabolites and Metabolic Pathways of Understory Chinese Herbs Based on Untargeted Metabolomics

Abstract

Background: Understory Chinese herbal medicines have been increasingly emphasized for their unique growth environment and medicinal components, but their metabolite composition and metabolic pathways are affected by a variety of factors, and there are significant variations, which bring challenges to quality control and medicinal efficacy evaluation. Non-targeted metabolomics technology can comprehensively analyze the metabolite composition and changes, which provides a new means to study the metabolite differences of understory herbs. 

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the metabolite differences of understory herbs under different growth environments, developmental stages and processing methods by using non-targeted metabolomics, and to analyze their metabolic pathways, so as to provide a scientific basis for quality control and pharmacodynamic evaluation of understory herbs. 

Methods: Inter-root soils of Panax quinquefolium, Panax quinquefolium and Panax quinquefolium were collected from natural understorey and understorey, and non-targeted metabolomics analysis was carried out by using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technology, which included: LC-MS analysis, PLS-DA multivariate statistical analysis, and metabolic pathway analysis. 

Results: In this study, we analyzed the differential metabolites and metabolic pathways of Chinese herbal medicines based on non-targeted metabolomics under the forest. Compared with the unplanted control group, 355, 241 and 236 significant differential metabolites were found in Panax quinquefolium, Rhizoma Polygonati and Wasabiae, respectively, and there were common differential metabolites among the three. The metabolites of the three mainly included lipids, organic acids and phenylpropanoid substances, with a larger proportion of lipids in panax ginseng (35%), yellow essence (26.32%) and wasabi (28.4%). Compared with the natural woodland (DCK), 20, 19 and 20 metabolic pathways were enriched in Panax ginseng, Rhizoma Polygonati Odorati, and Wasabi plantation woodland, respectively, which were mainly involved in the metabolism of amino acids, fatty acid synthesis, and secondary metabolite synthesis. These changes were closely related to the synergistic effects of soil environmental factors and metabolites, providing an important basis for understanding the ecological effects of understory herbs. 

Conclusion: Root metabolites of Panax quinquefolium, Rhizoma Pinelliae and Wasabiae in the forest differ significantly in chemical composition 1and metabolic pathways. The root metabolites of these plants are mainly composed of lipids, lipids and organic acids, and their bioactive compounds may play important roles in soil ecosystems. The metabolites affect the soil environment by providing nutrients and chemical signals to regulate the growth and development of the understory Chinese herbs, and enhance the Metabolites affect the soil environment by providing nutrients and chemical signals, regulating the growth and development of understorey herbs, and enhancing the metabolic activity of understorey herbs, thus improving the resistance and ecological adaptation of understorey herbs.

Keywords: Keywords: understory herbs, non-targeted metabolomics, differential metabolites, metabolic pathways