Comparative metabolomic analysis of antler-derived medicinal materials from red deer and sika deer

In this study, a TM widely-targeted metabolomics approach was employed to systematically characterize endogenous metabolites in the antlers(ANT), velvet antler(PA), and antler base(SDAB) of sika deer and red deer. A total of eighteen samples were selected and divided into six groups for metabolomic profiling. Based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), metabolic features were comprehensively identified by combining untargeted metabolite screening with a self-constructed database from MWE, leading to the detection of 2,361 metabolites. Multivariate statistical analyses, including PCA (principal component analysis) and OPLS-DA (orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis), were applied to investigate metabolic differences among tissues and between species. The results revealed significant tissue-specific metabolic profiles, particularly in antler tips, as well as species-specific differences between sika and red deer. Multiple differentially abundant metabolites were identified and predominantly enriched in pathways related to ABC transporters, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and nucleotide metabolism. These findings reveal distinct metabolic profiles associated with antler-derived materials and provide a scientific foundation for quality assessment, species discrimination, and biocompound discovery.It should be noted that this study has limitations, including a small sample size (n = 3 per group) and the geographical separation of sample sources. Future studies with larger cohorts and controlled environments are needed to validate these findings.