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Comparative Antioxidant Activity and Untargeted Metabolomic Analyses of Sour Cherry Cultivars Based on
Prabhjot Kaur1, Ahmed G Darwish2,3, Islam El-Sharkawy2
1School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
Abstract:
This study was conducted for the comparative analysis of antioxidant activity and untargeted metabolomics of dark- and light-colored sour cherry cultivars grown in Canada. Based on our previous study, we selected four cultivars-'Heimann R', 'Gorsemska', V70142, and 'Montmorency'-to determine the untargeted metabolites and their role in antioxidant activities. A total of 473 metabolites were identified from four sour cherry genotypes using UPLC-ToF-MS. Untargeted metabolomics revealed the dominant chemical groups present in sour cherries. PCA showed that the diversity in sour cherry metabolites was due to the genotype differences indicating iditol, malic acid, chlorobenzene, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, and pyroglutamic acid as the predominant contributors. The variable importance in the projection (VIP > 1.0) in partial least-squares-discriminant analysis described 20 biomarker metabolites representing the cherry metabolome profiles. A heatmap of Pearson's correlation analysis between the 20 biomarker metabolites and antioxidant activities identified seven antioxidant determinants that displayed the highest correlations with different types of antioxidant activities. TPC and TAC were evaluated using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The total antioxidant activity was performed using three different assays (ABTS, FRAP, and DPPH). This study of correlating metabolomics and antioxidant activities elucidated that the higher nutritional value and biological functions of sour cherry genotypes can be useful for the development of nutraceutical and functional foods.
Insights
This study compared antioxidant activity and metabolites in Canadian sour cherries. Metabolomics identified key compounds, revealing genotype differences that influence nutritional value for functional foods.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Food Science
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Sour cherries possess significant antioxidant properties.
- Cultivar differences can impact phytochemical profiles and biological functions.
- Understanding metabolomic profiles is crucial for identifying high-value cherry genotypes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comparatively analyze antioxidant activity and untargeted metabolomics of dark- and light-colored sour cherry cultivars.
- To identify key metabolites contributing to antioxidant activity in different sour cherry genotypes.
- To explore the potential of sour cherry genotypes for nutraceutical and functional food development.
Main Methods:
- Four sour cherry cultivars were analyzed using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-ToF-MS).
- Untargeted metabolomics, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) were employed.
- Antioxidant activities were assessed using Folin-Ciocalteu, ABTS, FRAP, and DPPH assays.
Main Results:
- A total of 473 metabolites were identified, with PCA highlighting genotype-specific variations.
- Twenty biomarker metabolites were identified, with seven showing strong correlations with antioxidant activities.
- Significant correlations were found between specific metabolites and total phenolic content (TPC) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC).
Conclusions:
- Metabolomic profiling revealed distinct chemical compositions among sour cherry cultivars.
- Specific metabolites were identified as key determinants of antioxidant activity.
- Sour cherry genotypes with superior nutritional and biological properties can be leveraged for functional food applications.
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