Metabolomics
Metabolomics is the scientific study of small molecules, called metabolites, that are produced during the normal processes of metabolism in living organisms. In the case of mangoes, metabolomics is used to study the various metabolites that the fruit produces during its growth, ripening, and storage. These metabolites can include flavor compounds such as sugars, acids, alcohols, and esters, and that contribute to the mango’s flavor and nutritional value.
Here are some examples of the metabolomics research:
Figure 1. Summary of the different smell compounds in mangoes:
(A) Chromatograms: This shows the chemical fingerprints of ‘Ah Ping,’ ‘Rosa,’ and ‘Rosigold’ mangos. Each fingerprint represents the different aroma compounds found in the mangos and how much of each compound is present.
(B) Proportions: This pie chart shows the different categories of aroma compounds, such as fruity or floral aroma, and how much each category contributes to the overall aroma of these mangoes.
(C) PCA score plot: This chart compares the ‘Ah Ping,’ ‘Rosa,’ and ‘Rosigold’ mangos based on their aroma compounds. It shows how similar or different the types are from each other based on their aroma.
(D) Heatmap and cluster analysis: This shows the levels of the most important aroma compounds across these different mango cultivars, with similar types of mangoes grouped together based on the compounds they share
(A) Fatty Acid Metabolism
(B) Amino Acid and Butanoate Metabolism
(C) Pentose and Hexose Metabolism
(D) Terpenoid Metabolism
There’s a color scale from green to red indicating low to high concentration levels of these metabolites in three types of mangoes named “Ah Ping,” “Rosa,” and “Rosigold.”
(A) Distribution of Mango Cultivars: This shows how 'Glenn,' 'Mamme,' and 'Saigon' mangos are different from each other based on their flavor and metabolites composition.
(B) Non-volatile (Non-aromatic) Compounds and Flavor Attributes: This plot explains which specific non-aromatic metabolites and flavor attributes (like sweetness, sourness, coconut, etc.) contribute to the differences between these mango cultivats.
For example, the “sweetness” points towards the cluster of Glenn mangoes and it means Glenn mangoes are sweeter compared to the others.
You can find our research on metabolomics on the links below:
- Integrated Metabolomics and Proteomics Analysis Provides Insights into the Formation of Volatile Compounds in Three Different Polyembryonic Mango Cultivars (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.4c04363)
- Pathway-Based Metabolomics Analysis Reveals Biosynthesis of Key Flavor Compounds in Mango (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.1c06008)
- Relationship between Sensory Attributes and Chemical Composition of Different Mango Cultivars (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.9b01018)