Luo Hanhan, Tang Jing, Zeng Zhaoxiang, Xu Jinlin, Chen Bixuan, Huang Xin, Yang Haijun, Huang Rongzeng, Chen Cheng, Song Chengwu, Jin Shuna
School of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430065, Hubei, China.
Wuhan Petrochemical Hospital, Wuhan 430082, Hubei, China.
Food Chem (Oxf). 2025 Jul 9;11:100277. doi: 10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100277. eCollection 2025 Dec.
Litchi, valued for its vibrant appearance and nutritional content, undergoes rapid browning of the pericarp (PE), reducing its market value. However, the browning mechanism and the impact of browning on the pulp (PU) are not fully understood. This study, litchi fruits were considered at five browning stages. Untargeted LC-MS metabolomics and cluster analysis revealed more pronounced browning-related metabolic changes in the PE than in the PU, as shown by greater separation in PE via principal component analysis. Overall, 53 differential metabolites in PE and 24 in PU were characterized, including flavonoids and lipids. The correlation analysis results revealed that the metabolites strongly associated with the browning process in the PE were primarily lipid compounds. Pathway analysis indicated that PE browning was associated with flavonoid pathway and lipid metabolism. These findings offered insights into litchi browning metabolism and a basis for improving PE browning delay and post-harvest preservation.
荔枝因其鲜艳的外观和营养成分而受到重视，但其果皮（PE）会迅速褐变，从而降低其市场价值。然而，褐变机制以及褐变对果肉（PU）的影响尚未完全明确。在本研究中，对处于五个褐变阶段的荔枝果实进行了研究。非靶向液相色谱-质谱代谢组学和聚类分析显示，与果肉相比，果皮中与褐变相关的代谢变化更为明显，主成分分析表明果皮中的分离度更大。总体而言，共鉴定出53种果皮差异代谢物和24种果肉差异代谢物，包括黄酮类化合物和脂质。相关性分析结果表明，与果皮褐变过程密切相关的代谢物主要是脂质化合物。通路分析表明，果皮褐变与黄酮类通路和脂质代谢有关。这些发现为荔枝褐变代谢提供了见解，并为改善果皮褐变延迟和采后保鲜提供了依据。
