Untargeted metabolomics combined with vitro antioxidant to comprehensively evaluate the effect of sodium sulfite immersion on the holistic quality of mung bean sprouts.

Mung bean sprouts are widely consumed as a seasonal fresh vegetable, renowned for their affordability and richness in antioxidants and bioactive compounds. This study employed ultra-high-performance liquid chromatogram-Q-Exactive HF mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QE-MS) and multivariate statistical analysis to comprehensively evaluate the chemical profile of mung bean sprouts following sulfite immersion. The findings revealed a significant alteration in the overall chemical composition of mung bean sprouts following sodium sulfite immersion. Eleven components, including four sulfur-containing compounds, were identified as characteristic markers distinguishing between non-immersed and sodium sulfite-immersed mung bean sprouts. Esterification and addition reactions were inferred to occur during sodium sulfite immersion, leading to the transformation of flavonoid and saponin sulfates. Commercial samples analysis indicated that sulfur-containing compounds were detectable in 9 of 11 commercial mung bean sprouts. Meanwhile, when sodium sulfite concentration exceeded 3.00 mg/mL and immersion time exceeded 360 min, the contents of total polyphenol and flavonoid were significantly reduced and the antioxidant activity was adversely influenced.

Corrigendum: Optimization of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) juice fermentation process and analysis of its metabolites during fermentation.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1344117.].

Optimization of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) juice fermentation process and analysis of its metabolites during fermentation.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a nutritious fruit and vegetable. Fermentation can be used to enhance their nutritional value. In this study, the tomato juice was co-fermented with multistrains, optimized by uniform experimental design and response surface methodology. Superoxide dismutase activity reached 496.67 U/g and lycopene content reached 77.12µg/g when P. pentosaceus (53.79%), L. casei (13.17%), L. plantarum (19.87%), L. fermentum (13.17%). To gain insight into the dynamics of metabolites during the tomato fermentation juice process multivariate statistical analysis was performed using the UHPLC-QE-MS/MS method. The main metabolites are peptides, amino acids carbohydrates, organic acids, and phospholipids. Carbohydrates were fully retained at the end of fermentation.The content of galactitol increased from the initial 5.389 to 6.607 while the content of cytarabine decreased by 29% and uridine by 44%. Meanwhile, phospholipids (PS, PE, PC, PG, PI) were all retained by more than 70%. Terpenoids (16-deacetylgairin, (+)-Royleanone, artemisinin) were increased to varying degrees, which gives them good nutritional value and biological activity. Organic acids (malic and citric) were reduced and lactic acid content was increased, changing its original flavor and making it more palatable to the general population. The research results have demonstrated the benefits of lactic acid bacteria fermentation on tomato juice, providing a theoretical basis and reference for the fermentation metabolism process of tomato juice.

Evaluation of the effects of compound curing agents on the lipid profiles and volatile flavors in Nuodeng ham based on lipidomics and GC-IMS analysis.

Eighteen raw legs were evenly divided into two groups and salted with 100% NaCl and compound curing agent (60% NaCl + 40% KCl + 90 mg/kg NaNO2) to investigate the effect of compound curing agent on lipid metabolites and volatile flavor compounds in Nuodeng ham. The results of UHPLC-QE-MS and GC-IMS combined with multivariate statistical analysis showed that 27 lipid metabolites and 30 characteristic volatile flavor compounds were identified as characteristic markers in different treatment groups. The compound curing agent promoted the release of TG, SQDG, Hex1Cer, and LPC in Nuodeng ham, and accelerated the formation of volatile compounds such as 2-propanone, nonanal-d, gamma-butyrolactone, ethhyl acetate and benzeneacetaldehyde et al. Through correlation analysis, ketones were positively correlated with some PUFAs and negatively correlated with most MUFAs. Processing Nuodeng ham with compound curing agents has a positive effect on improving its quality. These findings provide a scientific theoretical basis for the development and utilization of compound curing agent.

Study on spleen strengthening effects and mechanisms of Atractylodes chinensis and Atractylodes coreana / 中国药理学通报

Aim To analyze the differences in plasma biomarkers and metabolic pathways between Atractylodes chinensis and Atractylodes coreana after intervention in spleen deficiency rats, and discuss the spleen strengthening mechanism of the two from a non targeted metabolomics perspective. Methods A spleen deficiency model was established in SD rats using a composite factor method of improper diet, excessive fatigue, and bitter cold diarrhea. To determine the content of gastrointestinal and immunological indicators, UHPLC-QE-MS technology was used, combined with principal component analysis (PC A) and orthogonal projections to latent structures-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) methods to search for biomarkers in plasma of spleen deficiency rats, and metabolic pathways were induced using the Pathway database. Results After administration of Atractylodes chinensis and Atractylodes coreana, various indicators in plasma of spleen deficiency rats showed varying degrees of regression. Metabolomics analysis showed that Atractylodes chinensis and Atractylodes coreana respectively recalled 70 and 82 plasma differential metabolites. Atractylodes chinensis mainly regulated two metabolic pathways : "Glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, and "Thiamine metabolism". Atractylodes coreana mainly regulated five metabolic pathways, "Glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism", "Thiamine metabolism, "Pyrimidine metabolism", "Butanoate metabolism", and "Riboflavin metabolism". Conclusions Both Atractylodes chinensis and Atractylodes coreana have certain regulatory effects on spleen deficiency rats, and their mechanism of action may be related to regulating metabolic pathways such as "Glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, and "Thiamine metabolism"in spleen deficiency.

Identification of characteristic flavor compounds and small molecule metabolites during the ripening process of Nuodeng ham by GC-IMS, GC-MS combined with metabolomics.

To investigate effects of metabolites and volatile compounds on the quality of Nuodeng ham, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-Q exactive orbitrap-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QE-MS), and gas chromatography-ion transfer spectroscopy (GC-IMS) were used to analyze the differences of free fatty acids, small molecule metabolites and volatile compounds of Nuodeng ham at different ripening stages (the first, second and third year sample). 40 free fatty acids were detected. 757 and 300 metabolites were detected in positive and negative ion modes, respectively. 48 differential metabolites (VIP ≥ 1.5, P < 0.05) might important components affecting flavor differences of Nuodeng ham. Metabolic pathways revealed that fermenting-ripening of ham was associated with 31 metabolic pathways, among, 19 pathways were significant (Impact > 0.01, P < 0.05). 58 volatile compounds were identified, combined with PCA and PLS-DA, 15 flavor markers were screened out. These findings provide a scientific basis for further research on the flavor formation mechanism of Nuodeng ham.

Metabolomics-Based Analyses of Dynamic Changes in Flavonoid Profiles in the Black Mulberry Winemaking Process.

To overcome the fruit's perishability, mulberry wine has been developed as a method of preservation. However, dynamic changes in metabolites during mulberry wine fermentation have not been reported yet. In the present investigation, UHPLC-QE-MS/MS coupled with multivariate statistical analyses was employed to scrutinize the metabolic profiles, particularly the flavonoid profiles, throughout the process of vinification. In general, the major differential metabolites encompassed organic heterocyclic compounds, amino acids, phenylpropanoids, aromatic compounds, and carbohydrates. The contents of total sugar and alcohol play a primary role that drove the composition of amino acids, polyphenol, aromatic compound, and organic acid metabolites based on the Mantel test. Importantly, among the flavonoids, abundant in mulberry fruit, luteolin, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, (-)-epiafzelechin, eriodictyol, kaempferol, and quercetin were identified as the differential metabolic markers during blackberry wine fermentation and ripening. Flavonoid, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis were also identified to be the major metabolic pathways of flavonoids in 96 metabolic pathways. These results will provide new information on the dynamic changes in flavonoid profiles during black mulberry winemaking.

Optimization of Fermentation Conditions and Metabolite Profiling of Grape Juice Fermented with Lactic Acid Bacteria for Improved Flavor and Bioactivity.

To enrich the flavor compounds and retain the content of polyphenolics in grape juice (GJ) under long-term storage, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lacticaseibacillus casei, and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, were screened and the optimal fermentation conditions were determined as fermentation temperature of 41.2 °C for 24 h with an initial LAB density of 8.5 × 106 CFU/mL. Surprisingly, the retention rates of TPC still remained at 50% after storage for 45 days at 4 °C. Moreover, 251 different metabolites were identified, include 23 polyphenolics, 11 saccharides, and 9 organic acids. Most importantly, the total content of polyphenolics reserved was 92.65% at the end of fermentation. Among them, ephedrannin A content significantly decreased; however, 2',6'-Di-O-acetylononin gradually increased with the fermentation time, which resulted in FGJ maintaining excellent bioactivity. Meanwhile, organic acid content (palmitoylethanolamide, tetraacetylethylenediamine) increased with saccharides (linamarin) decreasing, which leads to FGJ having a unique taste. Furthermore, a total of 85 Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified, mainly including esters, aldehydes, and alcohols. Interestingly, key VOCs could be formed by carboxylic acids and derivatives, and fatty acyls via complex metabolic pathways.

Menthone Exerts its Antimicrobial Activity Against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Affecting Cell Membrane Properties and Lipid Profile.

Objective: The characteristic constituents of essential oils from aromatic plants have been widely applied as antimicrobial agents in the last decades. However, their mechanisms of action remain obscure, especially from the metabolic perspective. The aim of the study was to explore the antimicrobial effect and mechanism of menthone, a main component of peppermint oil, against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Methods: An integrated approach including the microbiology and the high-coverage lipidomics was applied. The changes of membrane properties were studies by the fluorescence and electron microscopical observations. The lipid profile was analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadruple Exactive mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QE-MS). The lipid-related key targets which were associated with the inhibitory effect of menthone against MRSA, were studied by network analysis and molecular docking. Results: Menthone exhibited antibacterial activities against MRSA, with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 3,540 and 7,080 µg/mL, respectively. The membrane potential and membrane integrity upon menthone treatment were observed to change strikingly. Further, lipids fingerprinting identified 136 significantly differential lipid species in MRSA cells exposed to menthone at subinhibitory level of 0.1× MIC. These metabolites span 30 important lipid classes belonging to glycerophospholipids, glycolipids, and sphingolipids. Lastly, the correlations of these altered lipids, as well as the potential metabolic pathways and targets associated with menthone treatment were deciphered preliminarily. Conclusion: Menthone had potent antibacterial effect on MRSA, and the mechanism of action involved the alteration of membrane structural components and corresponding properties. The interactions of identified key lipid species and their biological functions need to be further determined and verified, for the development of novel antimicrobial strategies against MRSA.

Bacteria-induced amino acid metabolism involved in appearance characteristics of high-temperature Daqu.

BACKGROUND: Significant changes occurd in Daqu bricks on the 15th day of incubation, and brick color (yellow, brown, or dark) is generally used as a standard for quality evaluation by experienced workers. This study aimed to explore the basis behind the phenomenon through multi-omics studies. The physicochemical properties of different high-temperature Daqu were compared. Furthermore, PacBio sequencing and the ultra-high-performance liquid chromatographic-Q-exactive-mass spectrometric approach were employed to analyze the differences in the microbiome and metabolome among different Daqu samples. RESULTS: Bacillus was the biomarker of yellow Daqu, Thermoactinomyces and Thermoascus were the key genera in brown Daqu, and Burkholderiales, Sphingomonas, and Ralstonia were biomarkers in dark Daqu. The physicochemical characteristics (especially the color values) of different high-temperature Daqu showed strong correlations with the bacterial alpha diversity and the relative abundance of dominant bacterial genera. Amino acid metabolism pathways including tryptophan metabolism, ß-alanine metabolism, and arginine biosynthesis were the key factors resulting in the characteristic differences where Bacillus, Burkholderia, Ralstonia, and Sphingomonas were pivotal bacterial genera. The relative abundance of Bacillus had a positive correlation with the content of 3-hydroxykynurenamine, l-glutamic acid, and pantothenic acid, while it showed a negative correlation with indoleacetic acid, l-tryptophan, N-acetylserotonin, l-histidine, l-aspartic acid, phosphatidylserine, 5-methoxyindoleacetate, and L-serine. Burkholderia, Ralstonia, and Sphingomonas had the opposite effects. CONCLUSION: Microbes play different roles in amino acid metabolism pathways, producing different metabolites, contributing to the differences in Daqu appearance and quality. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Metabolic mechanism of nitrogen modified atmosphere storage on delaying quality deterioration of rice grains.

Nitrogen modified atmosphere was an effective way to control pest infestation in grains. In this study, the quality changes of rice during nitrogen modified atmosphere packaging storage (N2-MAPS) were monitored. An un-targeted metabolomics method was used to detect the rice metabolites and explore the mechanism of N2-MAPS for delaying rice deterioration. In this study, two rice species were studied under N2-MAPS and conventional storage at 30 °C for 150 days. The quality changes of rice during storage were monitored. The results showed that N2-MAPS could retard the increase of fatty acid value and amylose content, and defer the decrease of enzyme activities. And N2-MAPS had no significant influence on texture characteristics of rice. The metabolomics results suggested some metabolites and pathways were affected by N2-MAPS and revealed that N2-MAPS could protect rice cells from oxidative damage, maintain cell integrity and stability by regulating the metabolism to delay the rice deterioration.

The study of metabolism and metabolomics in a mouse model of silica pulmonary fibrosis based on UHPLC-QE-MS.

The small diameter crystalline silica is inhaled into the lung and cannot be cleared. As a result, the patient suffers from silicosis, a lung disease for which there is no effective treatment except lung transplantation. The aim of this study is to reveal the histological, cytological and metabolic characteristics of mice with pulmonary fibrosis induced by different doses of silica, and to provide an ideal animal model for drug development and disease research of pulmonary fibrosis. The experimental mice were divided into five groups. The mice were sacrificed 42 d later by nasal inhalation of normal saline and suspension containing silica 1 mg, 2 mg, 4 mg and 8 mg. Lung specimens and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected for histological and cytological examination. Carotid blood was collected and centrifuged to obtain serum for UHPLC-QE-MS non-target metabolomics detection. Compared with the normal control group, except 1 mg silica group, the other dosage groups showed different degree of disease characteristics. Metabolomics analysis showed that arginine and proline metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, histidine metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, ascorbic acid and aldoglucose metabolism were important metabolic pathways. This study reveals the histological, cytological and metabolic features of four-dose-gradient silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis mouse models.

Discovery of Taxus chinensis fruit wine as potentially functional food against Alzheimer's disease by UHPLC-QE-MS/MS, network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Nowadays, there is no specific cure for Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the progression of AD can be improved by preventive interventions. The wine of Taxus chinensis fruit (TCFW) has the effect of improving human immunity and anti-aging as a long history of health care wine in folk, especially popular in the longevity villages in China, which may be potentially effective dietary products to improve AD. However, the chemical constituents and molecular mechanisms of TCFW still remain unknown. In this study, chemical profiling with UHPLC-QE-MS/MS, network pharmacology and molecular docking were integrated to fastly explore the potential chemicals and mechanisms of TCFW against AD. A total of 31 chemical components in TCFW were detected and identified compared with the solvent wine of TCFW by UHPLC-QE-MS/MS. Then, 27 potential key targets and 14 chemical compounds of TCFW were uncovered for the improvement of AD by network pharmacology and molecular docking. These 14 compounds were reported to have diverse bioactivities such as neuroprotective activity, antifibrotic activity, anticancer activity, antiviral activity and effectiveness in the treatment of neuronal injury, Alzheimer's disease, etc. Among these 27 targets affected by TCFW predicted by our approach, AKT1, PTGS2, NOS3, NOS2, INS, ESR1, ESR2, BDNF, IL6, IL1B, DRD2 and ACHE were significantly altered in AD. The GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that TCFW mainly acted on oxidative response, inflammatory response, insulin secretion, amyloid fibril formation, neurodegenerative pathway-multiple diseases, Alzheimer's disease, longevity regulation pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, etc, which were the main pathogenesis of AD. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative neurological disorder characterized by cognitive and behavioral dysfunction. Nowadays, there is no specific cure for AD, but the progression of AD can be improved by preventive interventions. The wine of Taxus chinensis fruit (TCFW) has the effect of improving human immunity and anti-aging as a long history of health care wine in folk, especially popular in the longevity villages in China, which may be potentially effective dietary products to improve AD. This study proposed a fastly integrated method to explore the potential chemicals and mechanisms of TCFW against AD by UHPLC-QE-MS/MS, network pharmacology and molecular docking. Here, we found that TCFW may ameliorate AD by reversing many biological events, including oxidative stress, inflammatory response, neuronal apoptosis, insulin secretion, amyloid fibril formation, and T cell co-stimulation, which may provide some insights for the development and research of anti-AD drugs.

Using untargeted metabolomics to profile the differences of the fruits of Lycium barbarum in different geographical origins.

An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography system coupled with the Q-Exactive mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QE-MS) approach combined with multivariate statistical analysis was used to investigate the metabolic profiles of the fruits of Lycium barbarum in different geographical origins in China. Several classes of compounds such as sugars, amino acids, organic acids, fatty acids, polyphenols and alkaloid were identified in hydroalcoholic extracts, and ten differential metabolites including amino acids, organic acids and vitamins were identified by multivariate statistical method. It was discussed that the differences between organic acids and amino acids in the samples may be caused by environmental factors such as ultraviolet radiation, soil and altitude. A total of 119 metabolic pathways were involved in the differential metabolites and 17 of them were retained for enrichment analysis. It was found that alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, purine metabolism, histidine metabolism and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis were the most important pathways. These findings play an important role in the origin tracing of the Lycium barbarum fruit.

Effect of Thermal Processing on the Metabolic Components of Black Beans on Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with High-Field Quadrupole-Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-field quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QE-MS) histological platform was used to analyze the effects of two thermal processing methods (cooking and steaming) on the nutritional metabolic components of black beans. Black beans had the most amino acids, followed by lipids and polyphenols, and more sugars. Multivariate statistical analysis indicated that heat processing significantly affected the metabolic component content in black beans, with effects varying among different components. Polyphenols, especially flavonoids and isoflavones, were highly susceptible. A total of 197 and 210 differential metabolites were identified in both raw black beans and cooked and steamed black beans, respectively. Cooking reduced the cumulative content of amino acids, lipids, polyphenols, sugars, and nucleosides, whereas steaming reduced amino acid and lipid content, slightly increased polyphenol content, and significantly increased sugar and nucleoside content. Our results indicated that metabolic components were better retained during steaming than cooking. Heat treatment had the greatest impact on amino acids, followed by polyphenols, fatty acids, sugars, and vitamins, indicating that cooking promotes the transformation of most substances and the synthesis of a few. The results of this study provide a basis for further research and development of nutritional products using black beans.

Metabolomics Analysis of PK-15 Cells with Pseudorabies Virus Infection Based on UHPLC-QE-MS.

Viruses depend on the metabolic mechanisms of the host to support viral replication. We utilize an approach based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/Q Exactive HF-X Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap Mass (UHPLC-QE-MS) to analyze the metabolic changes in PK-15 cells induced by the infections of the pseudorabies virus (PRV) variant strain and Bartha K61 strain. Infections with PRV markedly changed lots of metabolites, when compared to the uninfected cell group. Additionally, most of the differentially expressed metabolites belonged to glycerophospholipid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, purine metabolism, and pyrimidine metabolism. Lipid metabolites account for the highest proportion (around 35%). The results suggest that those alterations may be in favor of virion formation and genome amplification to promote PRV replication. Different PRV strains showed similar results. An understanding of PRV-induced metabolic reprogramming will provide valuable information for further studies on PRV pathogenesis and the development of antiviral therapy strategies.

Preparation, Antibacterial Potential, and Antibacterial Components of Fermented Compound Chinese Medicine Feed Additives.

This experiment was conducted to compare the antibacterial ability and to identify the antibacterial components of different fermented compound Chinese medicine feed additives in order to develop one fermented compound Chinese medicine feed additive product that can effectively alleviate metritis, vaginitis, and mastitis of sows. The Oxford cup method and double dilution method were used to compare the antibacterial ability of three fermented compound Chinese medicine feed additives (A, B, and C). UHPLC-QE-MS-based untargeted metabolomics was used to identify the antibacterial components of fermented compound Chinese medicine feed additives. Results showed that among fermented compound Chinese medicine feed additives A, B, and C, additive A had the strongest ability to inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella cholerae suis, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae. The MIC and MBC of additive A were the lowest for Staphylococcus aureus compared to that for the other three pathogens. The concentrations of 23 Chinese medicine ingredients (ellagic acid, guanine, camphor, L-valine, sinapine, dipropylphthalate, 3-hydroxy-5-isopropylidene-3,8-dimethyl-2,3,3a,4,5,8a-hexahydro-6(1H)-azulenone, 7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-8-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]-6-(3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl)chromen-4-one, acetylcholine, farrerol, pyrogallol, ethyl gallate, demethylwedelolactone, methyl gallate, kaempferide, gallic acid, eriodictyol, threonic acid, inositol, 3',4',7-trihydroxyflavanone, taxifolin, asiatic acid, and isorhamnetin) in additive A were significantly (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01) higher than those in additive B, respectively. It is concluded that the mixture composed of 23 active components in fermented compound Chinese medicine feed additive A plays an important role in inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella cholerae suis, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae.

Using untargeted metabolomics to profile the changes in roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) anthocyanins during wine fermentation.

In this study, an UHPLC-QE-MS approach in combination with multivariate statistical analyses was used to investigate the metabolic profiles, especially the anthocyanin profiles, during the fermentation of roselle wine. Overall, a large number of different metabolites (e.g., phenols, lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids and peptides, and others) were identified in the fermentation processes. Eight anthocyanin metabolites were identified in roselle wine for the first time, of which six were identified in the main fermentation process and two in the post-fermentation process. In addition, we identified several metabolic pathways during the fermentation process, and the metabolic pathways of anthocyanins in roselle wine are mainly related to flavonoid biosynthesis and to anthocyanin biosynthesis. These findings are expected to be useful for further studies on wine chemistry and yeast metabolism.

Alteration of intracellular metabolome in osteosarcoma stem cells revealed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are the origin of many malignant tumours, including osteosarcoma that mainly affects adolescents and is accompanied by a poor prognosis. However, little is known about the intrinsic biological information of osteosarcoma stem cells, particularly for the metabolomics features. Hence, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometer (UHPLC-QE-MS)-based metabolomics approach was developed to investigate the metabolism changes in the human osteosarcoma (HOS) cell line in order to understand its possible mechanism. HMDB, METLIN and m/z Cloud databases were used to identify the metabolic markers. Additionally, the compounds were further identified using standards of the metabolites. Comparing HOS-CSCs with non-CSCs, 154 different metabolites were identified in both the positive and negative modes. Based on the clearly distinct metabolites, the changed metabolic pathways were analysed using MetaboAnalyst. The top five altered pathways included alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism; arginine and proline metabolism; glutathione metabolism; cysteine and methionine metabolism; and the citrate cycle (TCA cycle). The downregulation of the TCA cycle and elevation of oxidized glutathione levels suggested a decline of mitochondrial metabolism, while most of the amino acid metabolisms were upregulated. Further biological experiments including an analysis of mitochondrial activity confirmed the above hypotheses that were deduced from metabolomics results. These findings not only enhance our understanding of the altered metabolome in osteosarcoma stem cells but also demonstrate the great potential of such a metabolomics method based on UHPLC-QE-MS in large-scale cell studies.

Metabonomic analysis of the hepatic injury suffer from hexavalent chromium poisoning in broilers.

Chromium is used in daily life and has a wide range of functions. It plays an important role in protein synthesis and carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Chromium is found in trivalent Cr(III) and hexavalent Cr(VI) form; Cr(III) is relatively stable and intimately participates with many phenomena of metabolisms. Whereas, Cr(VI) is toxic, which results in growth inhibition and leading to changes in components of antioxidant systems as well as secondary metabolites. However, the molecular mechanism that is involved in Cr (VI)-induced hepatotoxicity is still unclear. For this purpose, 40 chickens were randomly assigned into two groups: the normal group (feeding the basic diet and clear water), the chromium group (16%LD50, 74.24 mg/kg/day K2Cr2O7 ). The samples were subjected to pathological examination and UHPLC-QE-MS non-target metabolomics method for metabolomics analysis of broiler liver using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). The central venous cells of the broiler liver in the chromium poisoning group showed turbidity and flaky necrosis, nuclear condensation, nuclear rupture, and even nuclear dissolution. The differential metabolite analysis between the chromium poisoning and the control group showed that 32 differential metabolites were upregulated and 15 were downregulated in positive ion mode. Whereas,17 differential metabolites were downregulated, and 35 were downregulated in negative ion mode (P ≤ 0.05). The potential marker substances are oleic acidamide, farnesylacetone, betaine, taurine, choline, and galactinol. Additionally, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways showed that the lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, membrane transport, digestive system, and nervous system were the most important metabolic pathways in the liver. This study provides a theoretical basis for the future understanding of the pathogenesis of chromium poisoning and a new insight of the subsequent molecular mechanism of chromium hepatotoxicity.