title: Parallel reductions in phenolic constituents resulting from the domestication of eggplant.
abstract: Crop domestication is often accompanied by changes in metabolite compositions that alter traits such as flavor, color, or other beneficial properties. Fruits of eggplants (Solanum melongena L.) and related species are abundant and diverse in pharmacologically interesting phenolic compounds, particularly hydroxycinnamic acid (HCA) conjugates such as the antioxidant caffeoylquinic acids (CQA) and HCA-polyamine amides (HCAA). To understand metabolite variability through the lens of natural and artificial selection, HPLC-DAD was used to generate phenolic profiles for 32 compounds in fruits from 93 accessions representing 9 Solanum species. Profiles were used for identification of species-level and infraspecific chemical patterns across both genetic distance and landscape. Sampling of plant lines included the undomesticated progenitor of eggplant and Asian landraces with a genetic background associated with three Asian regions near proposed separate centers of domestication to test whether chemical changes were convergent despite different origins. Results showed ten compounds were unique to species, and ten other compounds varied significantly in abundance among species. Five CQAs and three HCA-polyamine conjugates were more abundant in wild (undomesticated) versus domesticated eggplant, indicating that artificial selection may have led to reduced phenolic levels. No chemical abundance patterns were associated with site-origin. However, one genetically distinct lineage of geographically-restricted SE Asian eggplants (S. melongena subsp. ovigerum) had a higher HCAA content and diversity than other lineages, which is suggested to be related to artificial selection for small, firm fruit. Overall, patterns show that fruit size, palatability and texture were preferentially selected over health-beneficial phytochemical content during domestication of several nightshade crops.
authors: The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458, United States; The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States; New York University, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, 12 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, United States. Electronic address: rm181@nyu.edu.
authors: Rachel S
authors: RS
authors: Meyer
authors: Food Quality Laboratory, Building 002, Room 117, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center-West, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 20705, United States.
authors: Bruce D
authors: BD
authors: Whitaker
authors: The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458, United States.
authors: Damon P
authors: DP
authors: Little
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of New York, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468, United States.
authors: Shi-Biao
authors: SB
authors: Wu
authors: The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of New York, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468, United States.
authors: Edward J
authors: EJ
authors: Kennelly
authors: College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, PR China.
authors: Chun-Lin
authors: CL
authors: Long
authors: The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458, United States.
authors: Amy
authors: A
authors: Litt
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011801:Quinic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D032323:Solanum melongena / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010636:Phenols; C472707:caffeoylquinic acid; D011801:Quinic Acid
keywords: Caffeic acid derivatives; Crop wild relatives; Domestication; Domestication syndrome; Eggplant; Food crop; Phenolics; Solanaceae; Solanum melongena