Metabolomics profiling of apples of different cultivars and growth locations

: Chen, Kang; Pariyani, Raghunath; Li, Yajing; Li, Jindong; Qiao, Xiongwu; Qin, Shu; Yang, Baoru

Publisher: Maximum Academic Press

: 2025

: Food Innovation and Advances

: 4

: 1

: 116

: 126

: 2836-774X

DOI: https://doi.org/10.48130/fia-0025-0012

: https://doi.org/10.48130/fia-0025-0012

: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/491748992

Apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) is a globally significant fruit in terms of both production and consumption. Metabolomics characteristics of 22 apple cultivars collected from five major apple-growing regions in Shanxi Province (China) were investigated by using1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics. The analysis revealed significant variations in metabolite profiles among the cultivars, particularly in sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose), asparagine, quinic acid, L-rhamnitol, phenylalanine, and condensed polyphenols. Notably, the cultivars 'Xinhongxing' and 'NY543' exhibited high levels of asparagine and quinic acid. 'Xinhongxing' had higher glucose levels but lower sucrose and fructose levels than other cultivars. 'Hongjiangjun' from higher altitudes showed elevated malate levels, indicating that environmental factors significantly influence malate metabolism in apple fruits. The study also revealed correlations between metabolites. For example, the content of condensed polyphenols was positively correlated with the level of asparagine, and that of quinic acid with phenylalanine. The study provides valuable insights on factors influencing apple composition and quality, underlining the importance of both genetic and environmental factors. Future research using transcriptomic and proteomic approaches could reveal the impact of gene-environment interaction on biochemical pathways involved in the primary and secondary metabolism of apples.

fia-0025-0012.pdf

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The research was funded by Shanxi Agricultural University, the Finland-China Food and Health Network, and Ningbo University (Grant No. ZX2024000249), the authors thank Professor Yumei Zhang at Peking University for the assistance during the shipping of the samples.