Unraveling dynamic metabolomes underlying different maturation stages of berries harvested from Panax ginseng

BACKGROUND: Ginseng berries (GBs) show temporal metabolic variations among different maturation stages, determining their organoleptic and functional properties. METHODS: We analyzed metabolic variations concomitant to five different maturation stages of GBs including immature green (IG), mature green (MG), partially red (PR), fully red (FR), and overmature red (OR) using mass spectrometry (MS)–based metabolomic profiling and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The partial least squares discriminant analysis score plot based on gas chromatography–MS datasets highlighted metabolic disparity between preharvest (IG and MG) and harvest/postharvest (PR, FR, and OR) GB extracts along PLS1 (34.9%) with MG distinctly segregated across PLS2 (18.2%). Forty-three significantly discriminant primary metabolites were identified encompassing five developmental stages (variable importance in projection > 1.0, p < 0.05). Among them, most amino acids, organic acids, 5-C sugars, ethanolamines, purines, and palmitic acid were detected in preharvest GB extracts, whereas 6-C sugars, phenolic acid, and oleamide levels were distinctly higher during later maturation stages. Similarly, the partial least squares discriminant analysis based on liquid chromatography–MS datasets displayed preharvest and harvest/postharvest stages clustered across PLS1 (11.1 %); however, MG and PR were separated from IG, FR, and OR along PLS2 (5.6 %). Overall, 24 secondary metabolites were observed significantly discriminant (variable importance in projection > 1.0, p < 0.05), with most displaying higher relative abundance during preharvest stages excluding ginsenosides Rg1 and Re. Furthermore, we observed strong positive correlations between total flavonoid and phenolic metabolite contents in GB extracts and antioxidant activity. CONCLUSION: Comprehending the dynamic metabolic variations associated with GB maturation stages rationalize their optimal harvest time per se the related agroeconomic traits.