Analysis of Flavonoid Metabolites in <i>Citrus reticulata ‘Chachi’</i> at Different Collection Stages Using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS
Yuting Chen,
Yujuan Xu,
Jing Wen,
Yuanshan Yu,
Jijun Wu,
Lina Cheng,
Wai-San Cheang,
Wenwen Liu,
Manqin Fu
Affiliations
Yuting Chen
Sericultural & Argi-Food Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Functional Foods, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Guangdong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Products Processing, No. 133 Yiheng Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510610, China
Yujuan Xu
Sericultural & Argi-Food Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Functional Foods, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Guangdong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Products Processing, No. 133 Yiheng Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510610, China
Jing Wen
Sericultural & Argi-Food Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Functional Foods, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Guangdong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Products Processing, No. 133 Yiheng Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510610, China
Yuanshan Yu
Sericultural & Argi-Food Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Functional Foods, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Guangdong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Products Processing, No. 133 Yiheng Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510610, China
Jijun Wu
Sericultural & Argi-Food Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Functional Foods, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Guangdong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Products Processing, No. 133 Yiheng Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510610, China
Lina Cheng
Sericultural & Argi-Food Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Functional Foods, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Guangdong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Products Processing, No. 133 Yiheng Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510610, China
Wai-San Cheang
Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao SAR 999078, China
Wenwen Liu
Institute of Quality Standard and Monitoring Technology for Agro-Products of Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
Manqin Fu
Sericultural & Argi-Food Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Functional Foods, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Guangdong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Products Processing, No. 133 Yiheng Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510610, China
Flavonoids are essential substances with antioxidant properties and high medicinal value. Citrus reticulata ‘Chachi’ peel (CRCP) is rich in flavonoids and has numerous health benefits. The different maturity periods of CRCP can affect the flavonoid contents and pharmacological effects. In this study, we successfully performed UPLC-ESI-MS/MS-based metabolic analysis to compare the metabolites of CRCP at different harvesting periods (Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, and Dec) using a systematic approach. The results revealed the identification of a total of 168 flavonoid metabolites, including 61 flavones, 54 flavonols, 14 flavone C-glycosides, 14 dihydroflavones, 9 flavanones, 8 isoflavones, 3 flavanols, 3 dihydroflavonols, and 2 chalcones. Clustering analysis and PCA were used to separate the CRCP samples collected at different stages. Furthermore, from July to December, the relative contents of isoflavones, dihydroflavones, and dihydroflavonols gradually increased and flavanols gradually decreased over time. The relative content of flavonoid C-glycosides showed an increasing and then decreasing trend, reaching the highest value in August. This study contributes to a better understanding of flavonoid metabolites in CRCP at different harvesting stages and informs their potential future utilization.
