Enhancing the terpenoid and flavonoid profiles and fruit quality in an elite Chinese bayberry line through...

Chinese bayberry fruit is rich in bioactive compounds which are beneficial to health. Fruit hybridization can improve quality and metabolite content, but this has yet to be explored in bayberry. Here, we investigated the effects of hybridization on fruit quality and the metabolomic profile of a newly developed hybrid 'BD-107' compared to the parent 'Biqi' and 'Dongkui', the main cultivars in China. Physiochemical evaluations indicated that 'BD-107' outperformed both parental cultivars in crucial quality attributes such as firmness, sugar content, and vitamin C. Metabolomic analysis revealed that hybridization positively influenced the overall metabolite content, with the highest alterations in terpenoids (21.4 %) and flavonoids (12.2 %). Notably, the novel hybrid 'BD-107' contains seven unique metabolites that are not in either parent; Safranal, Myrcenon, p-Menth-3-en-1-ol, Balanophonin B, Swertisin, Genistein-8-C-glucoside, and Ethanone, 1-(1,4-dimethyl-3-cyclohexen-1-yl), linked to antioxidant and health-promoting properties. Our findings provide valuable insights into the influence of bayberry heterosis on terpenoid and flavonoid biosynthesis, enhancing bioactive metabolites and fruit quality, which meet the demand for health-promoting fruit.