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Untargeted metabolomics approach using UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS to explore the metabolome of fresh-cut iceberg lettuce

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Abstract

Introduction

The shelf-life of fresh-cut lettuce after storage is limited by several factors that affect its quality and lead to consumer rejection. Different metabolic events occur after cutting as an abiotic stress response.

Objectives

This study aims to explore the metabolome of iceberg lettuce and to understand the changes related to storage time and genetics applying an untargeted metabolomics approach.

Methods

Two cultivars with different browning susceptibility, fast-browning (FB) and slow-browning (SB), were analyzed by UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS just after cutting (d0) and after five days of storage (d5). Extraction, metabolic profiling, and data-pretreatment procedures were optimized to obtain a robust and reliable data set.

Results

Preliminary principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis of the full dataset [around 8551 extracted, aligned and filtered molecular features (MFs)] showed a clear separation between the different samples (FB-d0, FB-d5, SB-d0, and SB-d5), highlighting a clear storage time-dependent effect. After statistical analysis applying Student’s t test, 536 MFs were detected as significantly different between d0 and d5 of storage in FB and 633 in SB. Some of them (221) were common to both cultivars. Out of these significant compounds, 22 were tentatively identified by matching their molecular formulae with those previously reported in the literature. Five families of metabolites were detected: amino acids, phenolic compounds, sesquiterpene lactones, fatty acids, and lysophospholipids. All compounds showed a clear trend to decrease at d5 except phenolic compounds that increased after storage.

Conclusion

The untargeted metabolomics analysis is a powerful tool for characterizing the changes on lettuce metabolome associated with cultivar and especially with storage time. Some families of compounds affected by storage time were reported to be closely related to quality loss.

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Acknowledgments

Authors thank the MINECO (project AGL2013-48529-R) and Fundación Séneca (19900/GERM/15) for financial support. Carlos García-Hernández benefitted from a grant (BES-2014-069233). Authors are also grateful to Natalia Hernández for the assistance with lettuce processing (preparation and extraction of samples) and Fernando Álvarez for the graphic design.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science and Technology, Research Group on Quality, Safety, and Bioactivity of Plant Foods, CEBAS-CSIC, P.O. Box 164, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain

    Carlos J. Garcia, Rocío García-Villalba, Yolanda Garrido, Maria I. Gil & Francisco A. Tomás-Barberán

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  1. Carlos J. Garcia
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  2. Rocío García-Villalba
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  3. Yolanda Garrido
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  4. Maria I. Gil
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  5. Francisco A. Tomás-Barberán
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Correspondence to Francisco A. Tomás-Barberán.

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This study does not involve the use of animal or human samples.

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Garcia, C.J., García-Villalba, R., Garrido, Y. et al. Untargeted metabolomics approach using UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS to explore the metabolome of fresh-cut iceberg lettuce. Metabolomics 12, 138 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11306-016-1082-x

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