title: Investigation of the chemomarkers correlated with flower colour in different organs of Catharanthus roseus using NMR-based metabolomics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Flower colour is a complex phenomenon that involves a wide range of secondary metabolites of flowers, for example phenolics and carotenoids as well as co-pigments. Biosynthesis of these metabolites, though, occurs through complicated pathways in many other plant organs. The analysis of the metabolic profile of leaves, stems and roots, for example, therefore may allow the identification of chemomarkers related to the final expression of flower colour.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the metabolic profile of leaves, stems, roots and flowers of Catharanthus roseus and the possible correlation with four flower colours (orange, pink, purple and red).
  
  
  METHODS
  (1) H-NMR and multivariate data analysis were used to characterise the metabolites in the organs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that flower colour is characterised by a special pattern of metabolites such as anthocyanins, flavonoids, organic acids and sugars. The leaves, stems and roots also exhibit differences in their metabolic profiles according to the flower colour. Plants with orange flowers featured a relatively high level of kaempferol analogues in all organs except roots. Red-flowered plants showed a high level of malic acid, fumaric acid and asparagine in both flowers and leaves, and purple and pink flowering plants exhibited high levels of sucrose, glucose and 2,3-dihydroxy benzoic acid. High concentrations of quercetin analogues were detected in flowers and leaves of purple-flowered plants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a correlation between the metabolites specifically associated to the expression of different flower colours and the metabolite profile of other plant organs and it is therefore possible to predict the flower colours by detecting specific metabolites in leaves, stems or roots. This may have interesting application in the plant breeding industry.
authors.affiliation: Natural Products Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands; Plant Biotechnology Research Center, Fudan-SJTU-Nottingham Plant Biotechnology R&D Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qifang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Yuntao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Tri Rini
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Nuringtyas
authors.forename: Natali Rianika
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Mustafa
authors.forename: Anna Elisabeth
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Schulte
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verpoorte
authors.forename: Young Hae
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D002396:Catechols / Q000378:metabolism; D030008:Catharanthus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D003116:Color; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates; D044949:Kaempferols / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D055442:Metabolome; D055432:Metabolomics / Q000379:methods*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000378:metabolism; D011794:Quercetin / Q000378:metabolism; D013395:Sucrose / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000872:Anthocyanins; D015415:Biomarkers; D002396:Catechols; D005419:Flavonoids; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates; D044949:Kaempferols; D013395:Sucrose; C009135:2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid; C006552:kaempferol; D011794:Quercetin; D005947:Glucose
keywords: Catharanthus roseus; NMR; flower colour; metabolic profile; organs