Comparative Metabolomic Analysis of Different Organs of Understory-Transplanted and Wild Dendropanax dentiger

Background: The artificial cultivation of Dendropanax dentiger under forest understory conditions offers a sustainable alternative to wild harvesting, yet the metabolic adaptations underlying transplantation stress and recovery remain poorly understood. Objectives: In this study, we performed a comparative metabolomics analysis of different organs (leaves, current-year stems, three-year-old stems, and roots) from wild D. dentiger plants and those transplanted to the understory. Methods and Results: Metabolite annotation and classification revealed that over 60% of the metabolites fell into the categories of lipids and lipid-like molecules, organoheterocyclic compounds, phenylpropanoids, and polyketides. Further differential analysis of metabolites showed that understory transplantation significantly altered the metabolic profiles of all organs, exhibiting organ-specific response patterns. For the metabolite components in the organs of transplanted and wild D. dentiger, these metabolites were mainly classified into eight categories: alkaloids and derivatives; benzenoids; lignans, neolignans and related compounds; lipids and lipid-like molecules; organic acids and derivatives; organoheterocyclic compounds; phenylpropanoids and polyketides; and organic oxygen compounds. Notably, the contents of (-)-asarinin, (Z)-1-(methylthio)-5-phenyl-1-penten-3-yne, and stearidonic acid (SDA, 18:4n-3) were higher in transplanted plants than in wild plants, indicating the potential of understory cultivation for the targeted extraction of these bioactive compounds. Conclusion: These findings provide a metabolomics basis for optimizing the artificial cultivation and quality control of D. dentiger. This study highlights the value of metabolomics in understanding the metabolic composition of D. dentiger and offers a reference for its artificial cultivation.