MS-FINDER and SIRIUS for phenolic compound identification from high-resolution mass spectrometry data

Characterization of the Polyphenolic Profile in Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum P. Mill) Peel and Seeds by LC-HRMS/MS

Peel and seeds are the main byproducts from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum P. Mill) processing with high concentrations of polyphenols that have been underexploited. Herein, polyphenolic profiles in tomato peel and seeds were elucidated by untargeted liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) with an LTQ Orbitrap analyzer. Samples from two Spanish regions─"Murcia" and "Almería"─were analyzed to obtain complementary results. 57 compounds were found, mainly phenolic acids and flavonoids, of which eight were identified for the first time in tomato. Polyphenols were more abundant in byproducts from "Murcia" samples than in those from"Almería" samples, where the abundance of compounds like coutaric, caffeic, neochlorogenic, dicaffeoylquinic and ferulic acids, vanillic acid hexoside, catechin, naringenin, prunin, apigenin-O-hexoside, rutin, and rutin-O-pentoside was even much higher in byproducts than that in whole fruits. These results reveal the wide range of polyphenols found in tomato byproducts, with potential applications in pharmaceutical research, food preservation, and cosmetic development, among others.

Profiling of Petroselinum sativum (mill.) fuss phytoconstituents and assessment of their biocompatibility, antioxidant, anti-aging, wound healing, and antibacterial activities

Petroselinum sativum, known as parsley, is a fragrant herb that possesses a rich heritage of utilization in traditional medicinal practices. In this study, we annotated the phytocontents of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of P. sativum and investigated their antioxidant, cytoprotective, antiaging, wound healing, and antibacterial activities. LC-MS/MS analysis of both extracts revealed the presence of 47 compounds belonging to diverse groups including organic acids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. By MTT assay, the extracts were fully biocompatible on immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT) while they inhibited intracellular ROS formation (DCFDA assay) and prevented GSH depletion (DTNB assay) upon UVA exposure. In addition, the extracts were potent in inhibiting the in vitro activities of skin-related enzymes mainly elastase, tyrosinase, collagenase and hyaluronidase. Using the scratch assay, P. sativum aqueous extract significantly enhanced wound closure when compared to untreated HaCaT cells. Moreover, both extracts inhibited Pseudomonas aeruginosa's growth, reduced biofilm formation, and impaired the swimming and swarming motilities. Also, the aqueous extract was able to inhibit the production of bacterial pigments on plates. These findings strongly suggest the usefulness of P. sativum as a source of phytochemicals suitable for dermo-cosmeceutical applications.

Integrative open workflow for confident annotation and molecular networking of metabolomics MSE/DIA data

Liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry data-independent acquisition (LC-HRMS/DIA), including MSE, enable comprehensive metabolomics analyses though they pose challenges for data processing with automatic annotation and molecular networking (MN) implementation. This motivated the present proposal, in which we introduce DIA-IntOpenStream, a new integrated workflow combining open-source software to streamline MSE data handling. It provides 'in-house' custom database construction, allows the conversion of raw MSE data to a universal format (.mzML) and leverages open software (MZmine 3 and MS-DIAL) all advantages for confident annotation and effective MN data interpretation. This pipeline significantly enhances the accessibility, reliability and reproducibility of complex MSE/DIA studies, overcoming previous limitations of proprietary software and non-universal MS data formats that restricted integrative analysis. We demonstrate the utility of DIA-IntOpenStream with two independent datasets: dataset 1 consists of new data from 60 plant extracts from the Ocotea genus; dataset 2 is a publicly available actinobacterial extract spiked with authentic standard for detailed comparative analysis with existing methods. This user-friendly pipeline enables broader adoption of cutting-edge MS tools and provides value to the scientific community. Overall, it holds promise for speeding up metabolite discoveries toward a more collaborative and open environment for research.

Effect of Support Matrix and Crosslinking Agents on Nutritional Properties of Orange Juice during Enzyme Clarification: A Comparative Study

This study investigated the impact of a support matrix and active group on the support to the nutritional properties of orange juice after juice clarification. Pectinase was immobilized on chitosan and aminated silica supports, activated with genipin or glutaraldehyde, and applied for juice clarification. The effects on various juice properties, including reducing sugars, total soluble solids, vitamin C, and phenolic compounds, juice color, and pH, were evaluated. The results revealed that the immobilization on chitosan activated using genipin resulted in the highest biocatalyst activity (1211.21 U·g-1). The juice treatments using the biocatalysts led to turbidity reduction in the juice (up to 90%), with the highest reductions observed in treatments involving immobilized enzyme on chitosan. Importantly, the enzymatic treatments preserved the natural sugar content, total soluble solids, and pH of the juice. Color differences between treated and raw juice samples were especially relevant for those treated using enzymes, with significant differences in L* and b*, showing loss of yellow vivid color. Analysis of phenolic compounds and vitamin C showed no significant alterations after the enzymatic treatment of the raw juice. According to our results, the clarification of orange juice using immobilized enzymes can be a compromise in turbidity reduction and color reduction to maintain juice quality.

Identification and characterization of phenolamides in tea (Camellia sinensis) flowers using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/Q-Exactive orbitrap mass spectrometry

Phenolamides (PAs) are important secondary metabolites present in plants with multiple bioactivities. This study aims to comprehensively identify and characterize PAs in tea (Camellia sinensis) flowers using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/Q-Exactive orbitrap mass spectrometry based on a lab-developed in-silico accurate-mass database. The PAs found in tea flowers were conjugates of Z/E-hydroxycinnamic acids (p-coumaric, caffeic and ferulic acids) with polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and agmatine). The positional and Z/E isomers were distinguished through characteristic MS² fragmentation rules and chromatographic retention behavior summarized from some synthetic PAs. 21 types of PAs consisting of over 80 isomers were identified, and the majority of them were found in tea flowers for the first time. Among 12 tea flower varieties studied, they all possessed tris-(p-coumaroyl)-spermidine with the highest relative content, and C. sinensis 'Huangjinya' had the highest total relative contents of PAs. This study shows the richness and structural diversity of PAs in tea flowers.