Structural diversity, biosynthetic aspects, and LC-HRMS data compilation for the identification of bioactive...

Lepidium meyenii is widely used as a food supplement because of its medicinal properties and nutritional value. Several studies have described the identification of its metabolites and LC-HRMS analysis is one of the most frequently used analytical tool to assess plant extract metabolome. Nevertheless, proper and reliable metabolite identification is essential for such metabolomics studies. Although HRMS distinguishes even minor changes in the metabolites structures, highly specialized secondary metabolites might not be present on available databases imposing serious obstacles for metabolite identification This review discusses the structural diversity and biosynthetic aspects of 101 compounds previously identified in L. meyenii. More importantly, we have compiled the available information on expected and experimental high-resolution masses of L. meyenii compounds. This will help upcoming metabolomics studies not only of L. meyenii but also other plant species by providing the necessary tools to perform proper and reliable identification of their bioactive compounds.