Multilayered visual metabolomics analysis framework for enhanced exploration of functional components in wolfberry

Area of Science:

• Plant Science
• Metabolomics
• Food Science

Background:

• Wolfberry is recognized for its nutritional value and health benefits.
• Understanding the distribution and changes of key metabolites like flavonoids during ripening is crucial but currently limited.
• Existing methods lack the spatial resolution and non-destructive capabilities for in-situ analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel spatial metabolomics framework for analyzing wolfberry.
• To investigate the tissue-specific distribution and dynamic accumulation of metabolites, particularly flavonoids, during wolfberry ripening.
• To visualize metabolic pathways and understand the impact of specific biochemical processes on metabolite redistribution.

Main Methods:

• Development of a spatial metabolomics framework integrating instrumental optimization, metabolite identification, molecular network analysis, pathway mapping, and machine learning.
• Utilized Desorption Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Imaging (DESI-MSI) for rapid, non-destructive, in-situ analysis.
• Employed machine learning for classification modeling based on metabolic network analysis.

Main Results:

• Achieved enhanced sensitivity and spatial resolution in analyzing wolfberry metabolites.
• Provided detailed insights into chemical and spatial variations during fruit ripening, focusing on flavonoids.
• Visualized the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway, identifying the significant role of C-3 hydroxylation in flavonoid redistribution.
• A classification model demonstrated over 99% prediction accuracy, corroborating metabolic network findings.

Conclusions:

• The developed spatial metabolomics framework is a powerful tool for plant metabolomics research.
• This approach enables efficient exploration of functional components and metabolic pathways in plants.
• The study offers significant insights into the metabolic dynamics of wolfberry, particularly concerning flavonoid accumulation during ripening.