Metabolomic analysis of bioactive compounds in mature rhizomes and daughter rhizomes in ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Background The bioactive compounds of ginger (Zingiber officinale), such as gingerols, diarylheptanoids, and flavonoids, are of importance to human health because of their anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. The daughter rhizomes arise from mature rhizomes, but the pungency and pharmacological quality of the two rhizome types differ substantially. Results In this study, a metabolomic analysis was performed to investigate the biosynthesis of major bioactive compounds in the mature rhizome (R) and daughter rhizome (DR) in ginger. A total of 1212 differentially accumulated metabolites with p < 0.05 and |fold change| ≥ 1 were identified, of which 399 metabolites were more highly accumulated in R samples than in DR samples, whereas 211 metabolites were most highly accumulated in DR samples. Metabolic pathways associated with the bioactive compounds that determine the pharmacological activity of ginger, including the “terpenoid backbone biosynthesis”, “stilbenoid, diarylheptanoid, and gingerol biosynthesis”, and "flavonoid biosynthesis" pathways, were enriched in R samples, which indicated that bioactive compounds mainly accumulated in mature rhizomes of ginger. Conclusion Differences in the key bioactive chemical constituents between the rhizome and daughter rhizome were analyzed. These results provide a theoretical basis for comprehensive development and utilization of ginger resources.