Tian Xi, Zhang Sujun, Gu Liqiang, Tian Wei, Liu Lingdi, Li Qiang, Jiang Tao
Institute of Cash Crops, Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China.
Institute of Cotton, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China.
Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom. 2025 Apr 15;39(11):e10024. doi: 10.1002/rcm.10024.
In traditional Chinese medicine, Semen Ziziphi Spinosae (SZS) is employed for alleviating conditions such as neurasthenia, sleep disorders, and anxiety. Its therapeutic effects are attributed to an abundance of biologically active compounds. The main objective of this study was the comparative profiling of SZS from different harvest times using a widely targeted metabolomics approach.
First, UPLC-Q Trap-MS/MS was used for identification of metabolic profile. Then, multivariate statistical analysis and KEGG enrichment analysis were performed to screen out the differential metabolites and related metabolic pathways among different growth stages.
In total, 466 metabolites were identified at three different growth and development stages (T1, T2, and T3) of SZS using UPLC-Q Trap-MS/MS, including 83 flavonoids, 80 phenolic acids, 67 amino acids and derivatives, 56 lipids, 39 nucleotides and derivatives, 38 organic acids, 1 quinone, 6 lignans and coumarins, 53 other metabolites, 10 tannins, 20 alkaloids, and 13 terpenoids. The result of clustering and PCA analyses showed that there was a great difference in metabolites between SZS at three growth stages. Differential metabolites in three comparison groups (T1 vs. T2, T2 vs. T3, and T1 vs. T3) were 195, 104, and 96, respectively. There were 29 common differential metabolites among the three different growth stages of SZS. The contents of important active ingredients (flavonoids and terpenoids) gradually increased during the T1, T2, and T3 stages, indicating that SZS harvested during T3 period was suitable for medicinal use. All the differential metabolites screened were enriched in 11 metabolic pathways, including glycerolipid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway.
This study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamic changes in the metabolic profile of SZS, laying a foundation for subsequent development and utilization.
在传统中医中，酸枣仁用于缓解神经衰弱、睡眠障碍和焦虑等病症。其治疗效果归因于大量生物活性化合物。本研究的主要目的是采用广泛靶向代谢组学方法对不同采收期的酸枣仁进行比较分析。
首先，采用超高效液相色谱-四极杆飞行时间串联质谱（UPLC-Q Trap-MS/MS）鉴定代谢谱。然后，进行多元统计分析和KEGG富集分析，以筛选出不同生长阶段的差异代谢物及相关代谢途径。
利用UPLC-Q Trap-MS/MS在酸枣仁的三个不同生长发育阶段（T1、T2和T3）共鉴定出466种代谢物，包括83种黄酮类化合物、80种酚酸、67种氨基酸及其衍生物、56种脂质、39种核苷酸及其衍生物、38种有机酸、1种醌类、6种木脂素和香豆素、53种其他代谢物、10种单宁、20种生物碱和13种萜类化合物。聚类分析和主成分分析结果表明，酸枣仁在三个生长阶段的代谢物存在很大差异。三个比较组（T1与T2、T2与T3、T1与T3）中的差异代谢物分别为195种、104种和96种。酸枣仁三个不同生长阶段共有29种共同的差异代谢物。重要活性成分（黄酮类化合物和萜类化合物）的含量在T1、T2和T3阶段逐渐增加，表明在T3期采收的酸枣仁适合药用。筛选出的所有差异代谢物均富集于11条代谢途径中，包括甘油酯代谢、甘油磷脂代谢、苯丙氨酸代谢和苯丙烷生物合成途径。
本研究为更全面了解酸枣仁代谢谱的动态变化提供了依据，为后续的开发利用奠定了基础。
