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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Metabolism and Chemodiversity
Volume 16 - 2025 |
doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1510310
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging analysis revealed the spatial distribution of metabolites during Ziziphi Spinosae Semen at different growth periods
Provisionally accepted
Mengwei Zhao 
Zhao Liu 
Jie-Min Wang 
Yuting Liu * Yuping Yan * Ning Liu * Jianming Jiang * Yongxing Song *
Huigai Sun *
Donglai Ma *- Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS), a medicinal food, is one of the most popular Chinese medicinal herbs, known for its rich bioactive ingredients, such as terpenoids and flavonoids. The content of these bioactive ingredients in ZSS varies with age. However, the distribution of these bioactive ingredients throughout the developmental phases of ZSS-white maturity (S1), firm ripening (S2), and full ripening (S3)-and within specific tissues like the cotyledon, endosperm, and radicle, has not yet been determined. This research aimed to analyze the spatial distribution of key quality markers in ZSS and elucidate the metabolite quality characteristics throughout its growth stages. Utilizing matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI), 25 bioactive ingredients were identified and visualized in ZSS, including three terpenoids, seven flavonoids, four alkaloids, and eleven amino acids. The MALDI images revealed distinct spatial variations in the distribution of these bioactive ingredients across different regions of ZSS tissues and different growth stages. Moreover, as ZSS matured, the distribution area of specific bioactive ingredients significantly increased, encompassing three terpenoids, six flavonoids, two alkaloids, and seven amino acids.Utilizing ion imagery, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) coupled with Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) effectively differentiated samples from various developmental periods. Additionally, nine major bioactive ingredients were identified as potential quality markers for ZSS. This research demonstrates that the content and distribution of bioactive components in ZSS change during growth. The analysis provided by MALDI-MSI offers an experimental basis for understanding the accumulation and distribution of bioactive components during the maturation of ZSS.
Keywords: Ziziphi Spinosae Semen, MALDI, growth in different periods, potential quality markers, PCA
Received: 12 Oct 2024; Accepted: 04 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhao, Liu, Wang, Liu, Yan, Liu, Jiang, Song, Sun and Ma. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Yuting Liu, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
Yuping Yan, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
Ning Liu, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
Jianming Jiang, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
Yongxing Song, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
Huigai Sun, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
Donglai Ma, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
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