Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2025
Visualization of Metabolites Identified in the Spatial Metabolome of Traditional Chinese Medicine Using DESI-MSI
Published on: December 16, 2022
Triterpenoid saponins in tea plants: A spatial and metabolic analysis using UPLC-QTOFMS, molecular networking, and
Zhenghua Du1, Ying Zhou1, Shuang Guo1
1Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
Abstract:
Triterpenoid saponins, bioactive compounds with pharmaceutical relevance and functional food potential, are abundant in tea plants (Camellia sinensis), yet their structural diversity and tissue-specific distribution remain insufficiently explored. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry, Feature-based Molecular Networking, and imaging mass spectrometry (IMS), we profiled 52 tea saponins, including two novel trisaccharide saponins with unique glycosylation patterns. Aerial tissues, particularly buds and leaves, were enriched with cinnamoyl-decorated tetrasaccharide saponins, whereas roots predominantly accumulated di- and trisaccharide saponins, with significant cultivar-specific variation. IMS further revealed a compartmentalized root distribution, with di- and trisaccharide saponins localized in the epidermis and cortex, while tetrasaccharide saponins were concentrated in the stele. These findings advance understanding of the structural complexity and spatial accumulation of tea saponins, offering insights for bioactive compound extraction and informing breeding strategies to enhance saponin yield and diversity.
