Comparison of Vegetable Waste Byproducts of Selected Cultivars of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. by an Integrated LC‐(HR)MS and 1H‐NMR‐Based Metabolomics Approach
Maria Assunta Crescenzi, Antonietta Cerulli, Milena Masullo, Paola Montoro, Sonia Piacente ABSTRACT
Introduction
The metabolome of plants is influenced by various factors, especially environmental, as the season in which they are grown. So, distinct varieties of the identical plant might show an increase or decrease in metabolites. The diversity of content of primary and secondary metabolites can also determine the variation in their biological properties. Due to the current occurrence of various fennel varieties, the crop can now be grown for the entire year.
Objective
This work used an integrated approach of LC/MS and NMR analysis to characterize the metabolome of fennel waste of different varieties by multivariate statistical analysis.
Methods
The extracts were investigated by NMR and LC/MS analysis to focus attention on the primary and secondary metabolites. Both LC‐HRMS and NMR data were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA).
Results
The 1H‐NMR analysis led to the identification of 15 primary metabolites, such as amino acids, carbohydrates, and organic acid derivatives. The secondary metabolites identified by LC/MS analysis mainly belong to the phenolic, lipid, and fatty acid compounds classes.
Conclusion
This integrated approach guarantees a precise and complete overview of the variations in the metabolic expression of the fennel varieties grown in different seasons.