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An untargeted metabolomic approach reveals significant postharvest alterations in vitamin metabolism in response to LED irradiation in pak-choi (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis (L.) Makino var. communis Tsen et Lee)

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Abstract

The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of low-level light emitting diode (LED) irradiation on the metabolite profile of pak-choi. A total of 633 different molecular features (MFs) were identified among sample groups (initial, dark-treated, light-treated) using an untargeted metabolomic approach. The identified metabolites were associated with 24 different metabolic pathways. Four of the pathways including carbon pool by folate, folate biosynthesis, thiamine metabolism, and glutathione metabolism, all of which are associated with vitamin biosynthesis, changed significantly. Metabolites in four of the pathways exhibited significant differences from the control in response to LED irradiation. Additionally, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, as well as glucosinolate biosynthesis, riboflavin metabolism, and carotenoid biosynthesis were positively induced by LED irradiation. These results indicate that postharvest LED illumination represents a potential tool for modifying the metabolic profile of pak-choi to maintain quality and nutritional levels.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFD0400901), the China Agriculture Research System Project (CARS-23), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31772022), the Natural Science Foundation of Beijing (6182016), Special innovation ability construction fund of Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (20180404 and 20180705). We greatly appreciate the critical reading of the manuscript by Dr. Michael Wisniewski, USDA-ARS-Appalachian Fruit Research Station.

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Author notes

  1. Fuhui Zhou and Jinhua Zuo have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Vegetable Postharvest Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory of Fruits and Vegetable Storage and Processing, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China) of Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (North) of Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Vegetable Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China

    Fuhui Zhou, Jinhua Zuo, Lipu Gao, Qing Wang & Junyan Shi

  2. Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioresources Utilization, Ministry of Education, Dalian, 116600, China

    Fuhui Zhou & Aili Jiang

  3. College of Life Science, Dalian Minzu University, Dalian, 116600, China

    Fuhui Zhou & Aili Jiang

  4. Chongqing Key Laboratory of Economic Plant Biotechnology, College of Landscape Architecture and Life Science/Institute of Special Plants, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Yongchuan, Chongqing, 402160, China

    Yuan Sui

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  1. Fuhui Zhou
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Contributions

QW, AJ, LG designed the experimental trials. FZ and JS performed the experiments, collected the samples. JZ, FZ and YS wrote the article. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Qing Wang or Aili Jiang.

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Zhou, F., Zuo, J., Gao, L. et al. An untargeted metabolomic approach reveals significant postharvest alterations in vitamin metabolism in response to LED irradiation in pak-choi (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis (L.) Makino var. communis Tsen et Lee). Metabolomics 15, 155 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11306-019-1617-z

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