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Updated: Jun 18, 2026
Annotation of Plant Gene Function via Combined Genomics, Metabolomics and Informatics
Published on: June 17, 2012
Metabolite-based color codes and antioxidant mechanisms in carrots: insights from untargeted metabolomics and
Chenglong He1, Johane Johari Mkunga2, Dongsheng Zhang3
1Engineering Research Center of Storage and Processing of Xinjiang Characteristic Fruits and Vegetables, Ministry of Education, School of Food Science, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Processing and Quality and Safety Control of Specialty Agricultural Products (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food Science, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China; School of Agriculture, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.
Abstract:
Systematic studies examining the differences in metabolites and antioxidant mechanisms among various colored carrots are limited. In this study, we analyzed the metabolite-level differences and antioxidant mechanisms of purple, yellow, red, and orange carrots using untargeted metabolomics in conjunction with bioinformatics. The results revealed that purple carrots are rich in flavonoid metabolites with color formation. Yellow carrots are riched in anthracenes and Curcumin II. Orange carrots are mainly related to Gamma-Crocetin. Furthermore, purple carrots exhibit the highest antioxidant activity. Six key metabolites in carrots were identified for their potential antioxidant effects in vivo, with core targets including CDK1, EGFR, SRC, and FYN, which primarily exert antioxidant effects through the nitrogen metabolic pathway. This study elucidates the Metabolites of basis of carrot color phenotypes and antioxidant activity, providing a theoretical foundation for the selection and breeding of high-value varieties.
