Correlation between Species-Specific Metabolite Profiles and Bioactivities of Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.)

Abstract

Metabolite profiling of three blueberry species (Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb., V. oldhamii Miquel., and V. corymbosum L.) was performed using gas chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) and ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) combined multivariate analysis. Partial least-squares discriminant analysis clearly showed metabolic differences among species. GC-TOF-MS analysis revealed significant differences in amino acids, organic acids, fatty acids, sugars, and phenolic acids among the three blueberry species. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis indicated that anthocyanins were the major metabolites distinguishing V. bracteatum from V. oldhamii. The contents of anthocyanins such as glycosides of cyanidin were high in V. bracteatum, while glycosides of delphinidin, petunidin, and malvidin were high in V. oldhamii. Antioxidant activities assessed using ABTS and DPPH assays showed the greatest activity in V. oldhamii and revealed the highest correlation with total phenolic, total flavonoid, and total anthocyanin contents and their metabolites.

Chemotaxonomic Metabolite Profiling of 62 Indigenous Plant Species and Its Correlation with Bioactivities

“…For antioxidant activity by DPPH free radical scavenging assay, we followed Lee et al [49] with some modifications. Reaction mixtures containing 20 µL of each dissolved sample and 180 µL of DPPH ethanol solution (0.2 mM) were incubated at room temperature for 20 min in 96-well plates.…”

Metabolomics of Lonicera caerulea fruit during ripening and its relationship with color and antioxidant activity

“…GC-TOF-MS analysis was followed using the method described by Lee et al, 2014. An Agilent 7890A GC system equipped with an Agilent 7693 autosampler (Agilent, Atlanta, GA, USA) was coupled with a Pegasus HT TOF-MS (LECO Corp., St. Joseph, MI, USA).…”

“…ABTS assay was followed with the method described by Lee et al (2014) and Re et al (1999) with some modifications. The stock solution included 7 mM ABTS solution and 2.45 mM K 2 SO 4 solution.…”

“…Total anthocyanin contents (TAC) of the L. caerulea samples were estimated using a microplate reader by the pH-differential method using two buffer systems, potassium chloride buffer, pH 1.0, and sodium acetate buffer, pH 4.5, as modified by Lee, Durst, and Wrolstad (2005) and Lee et al (2014). A diluted sample of 20 μL was mixed with 180 μL of corresponding buffer, and was then read against a blank at 515 and 750 nm.…”

Determination of isoorientin levels in rat plasma after oral administration of Vaccinum bracteatum Thunb. methanol extract by high‐performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry

“…(VB) is a type of wild blueberry and is widely grown in Korea and China. In Chinese herbal medicine, VB is used to treat inflammation, gonorrhea, vomiting, diarrhea and skin eruptions (Kim, ; Lee et al, ; Song, ). In the previous literature, VB has been reported to have anti‐microbial, anti‐oxidant, anti‐fatigue, anti‐inflammatory and neuroprotective properties (Wang, Zhang, Zhang, Yao, & Zhang, , ).…”