Ocotea complex: A metabolomic analysis of a Lauraceae genus

The genus Ocotea is one of the largest and most economically explored in the Lauraceae family. However, its current industrial use is limited by the difficult identification of Ocotea species. At present, the genus is botanically considered a complex since accurate classification is very difficult to achieve based on taxonomic characteristics. As chemophenetics can aid in Ocotea species identification processes, we propose to evaluate the chemical data in several studies of Lauraceae species published between 1906 and 2019 in order to provide insights of the identification issue of matrix which DNA material or full morphological characteristics may not be readily available. Several alkaloids and lignoids have been found to be specifically synthesized by Ocotea species, enabling their usage in species identification by targeted and untargeted metabolomic approaches. The multivariate analysis of alkaloid, lignoid and flavonoid profiles allowed the characterization of subsets of species, the differentiation of chemical profile based on plant parts (leaves and branches), and to elucidate specific biomarkers for species. The previous chemophenetic model was contradicted by our data using statistical tools, such as HCPC, which allowed clustering adjustments based not only in the presence or absence of two single chemical classes. Chemophenetic study has proved to be a reliable tool in the enhancement of the identification and comprehension of this genus and the family. Here, the current status, pitfalls and future perspectives in Ocotea species metabolomic characterization will be presented.