Metabolomics Reveals Nutritional Diversity among Six Coarse Cereals and Antioxidant Activity Analysis of Grain Sorghum and Sweet Sorghum

Abstract

Coarse cereals are rich in dietary fiber, B vitamins, minerals, secondary metabolites, and other bioactive components, which exert numerous health benefits. To better understand the diversity of metabolites in different coarse cereals, we performed widely targeted metabolic profiling analyses of six popular coarse cereals, millet, coix, buckwheat, quinoa, oat, and grain sorghum, of which 768 metabolites are identified. Moreover, quinoa and buckwheat showed significantly different metabolomic profiles compared with other coarse cereals. Analysis of the accumulation patterns of common nutritional metabolites among six coarse cereals, we found that the accumulation of carbohydrates follows a conserved pattern in the six coarse cereals, while those of amino acids, vitamins, flavonoids, and lipids were complementary. Furthermore, the species-specific metabolites in each coarse cereal were identified, and the neighbor-joining tree for the six coarse cereals was constructed based on the metabolome data. Since sorghum contains more species-specific metabolites and occupies a unique position on the neighbor-joining tree, the metabolite differences between grain sorghum 654 and sweet sorghum LTR108 were finally compared specifically, revealing that LTR108 contained more flavonoids and had higher antioxidant activity than 654. Our work supports an overview understanding of nutrient value in different coarse cereals, which provides the metabolomic evidence for the healthy diet. Additionally, the superior antioxidant activity of sweet sorghum provides clues for its targeted uses.

The antioxidant activity and metabolomic analysis of the supernatant of Streptococcus alactolyticus strain FGM

“…To further investigate the potential mechanisms of the antioxidant properties of the strain FGM, we examined the expression profiles of metabolite levels in the FCFS, performing correlation analyses to better understand specific metabolites. Due to the differences in metabolites, and the fact that antioxidant active components occurring differently in each strain, the metabolome has become an effective tool for analyzing metabolite accumulation patterns and has been used for nutritional analysis of many substances 44 . In the quantitative N300 assay performed on the FCFS, a total of 156 metabolites were detected, and 46 metabolites (12 up-regulated and 34 down-regulated) among them were significantly different.…”

Widely Targeted Metabolomics Provides New Insights into Nutritional Profiling and Reveals the Flavonoid Pathway of Pea (Pisum sativum L.)

“…Metabolomics has been efficiently used to analyze the type, content and accumulation pattern of metabolites [20], and also can be utilized in the analysis of nutritional compounds for many plants [21]. For example, a widely targeted metabolic profiling analysis was performed to investigate nutritional diversity among six coarse cereals including millet, grain sorghum, oat, coix, buckwheat and quinoa [18]. In another work, the widely targeted metabolomics-based approach was used to reveal the nutritional components of black, red, glutinous, and common white rice [22].…”

“…Metabolomic variations were investigated among six important species of Poaceae with a total of 17 cultivars, including wheat, maize, rice, sorghum, foxtail millet, and broomcorn millet based on the UPLC-ESI-MS/MS system [1]. Analysis of the accumulation patterns of common nutritional metabolites among six coarse cereals found that the accumulation of carbohydrates follows a conserved pattern [18].…”

Editorial: Nutritional structures, growth and development processes, and responses to stresses in coarse cereals

“…Millet is rich in trace elements selenium, iron and a variety of vitamins, and has the effect of preventing insomnia and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular atherosclerosis; Oat is rich in saponins and β-glucan, which has special effect on reducing blood lipids. Buckwheat is rich in bioflavonoids, which can significantly soften blood vessels and regulate blood lipids and blood sugar ( Zhao et al, 2022 ). Compared to main crops and model plants, research on the formation mechanism, development process, and regulation mechanism of environmental adaptability of special metabolic components of coarse grain crops is insufficient.…”

“…Millet is rich in trace elements selenium, iron and a variety of vitamins, and has the effect of preventing insomnia and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular atherosclerosis; Oat is rich in saponins and β-glucan, which has special effect on reducing blood lipids. Buckwheat is rich in bioflavonoids, which can significantly soften blood vessels and regulate blood lipids and blood sugar (Zhao et al, 2022). Compared to main crops and model plants, research on the formation mechanism, development process, and regulation mechanism of environmental adaptability of special metabolic components of coarse grain crops is insufficient.This Research Topic aimed to explore recent developments in this area with a focus on the genetic basis of special chemical compositions, nutritional structures, tissue developments, and biological or abiotic adaptability of these coarse grain crops through forward or reverse genetic experiments.Sorghum is one of the world's most important cereal crops, an important source of animal feed worldwide and an increasingly important biofuel feedstock.…”