Untargeted Metabolomics Reveals Distinct Anthocyanin Profiles in Napier Grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) Cultivars
Journal
Foods
Journal Volume
14
Journal Issue
15
Start Page
2582
ISSN
2304-8158
Date Issued
2025-07-23
Author(s)
Abstract
Plant secondary metabolites regulate plant growth and serve as valuable pharmaceutical resources. Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.), a Poaceae species, shows potential as a functional food. In this study, we employed high-resolution mass spectrometry combined with a data-independent acquisition (DIA) strategy for the untargeted detection of anthocyanins, a group of secondary metabolites, in napier grass. Clear MS2 fragmentation patterns were observed for anthocyanins, characterized by diagnostic aglycone signals and sequential losses of hexosyl (C6H10O5), deoxyhexosyl (C6H10O4), pentosyl (C5H8O4), and p-coumaroyl groups (C9H8O3). Based on matching with authentic standards and an in-house database, ten anthocyanins were identified, seven of which were newly reported in napier grass. In a single-laboratory validation analysis, both absolute and semi-quantitative results reliably reflected the specific distribution of metabolites across different cultivars and plant organs. The purple cultivar (TS5) exhibited the highest anthocyanin content, with the cyanidin 3-O-glucoside content reaching 5.0 ± 0.5 mg/g, whereas the green cultivar (TS2), despite its less pigmented appearance, contained substantial amounts of malvidin 3-O-arabinoside (0.7 ± <0.1 mg/g). Flavonoid profiling revealed that monoglycosylated anthocyanins were the dominant forms in floral tissues. These findings shed light on napier grass metabolism and support future Poaceae breeding and functional food development.
Subjects
anthocyanins
napier grass
plant secondary metabolites
Poaceae plants
UHPLC-HRMS
SDGs
Publisher
MDPI AG
Description
Article number 2582
Type
journal article