Affiliation:
1. Key Laboratory for Applied Technology of Sophisticated Analytical Instruments of Shandong Province, Shandong Analysis and Test Center, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250014, China
2. College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming 650500, China
3. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250014, China
Abstract
Lonicera japonica Thunb. (LJT) has been widely used as medicines or food additives in Asian countries for thousands of years. The flower buds are often medicinally used, and the other tissues are ignored. However, flowers, leaves and stems have also been reported to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In the current study, un-targeted metabolomics analysis was performed to investigate the metabolic difference among different tissues (flowers, flower buds, stems and leaves) of LJT based on liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. A total of 171 metabolites were identified, including 28 flavonoids, 35 phenolic acids, 43 iridoids, 9 amino acids, 6 nucleotides, 16 fatty acids, 22 lipids and 12 others. Four new secondary metabolites were discovered. Some flavonoids and iridoids were not detected in leaves and stems. Principal component analysis showed significant differences among four different tissues. Some 27, 81, 113 differential metabolites were found between flowers/flower buds, leaves/flower buds, stems/flower buds, respectively. Primary metabolites showed a higher content in the flowers and flower buds. For the flavonoids, flavones were mainly accumulated in the leaves, flavonols were mainly accumulated in the flower buds, and acylated flavonol glucosides were mainly accumulated in the flowers. Most phenolic acids showed a higher content in the flowers or flower buds, while phenolic acid-glucosides showed significantly higher content in the flower buds. The most abundant iridoids in the LJT also showed a higher content in the flowers and flower buds. These results can provide new insights into the understanding of the metabolites changes in different tissues, and lay a theoretical foundation for the comprehensive utilization of LJT.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Shandong Major Technological Innovation Project
Shandong Province Taishan Scholar Program
Qilu University of Technology
Subject
Molecular Biology,Biochemistry,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism