Location: Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory
Project Number: 8040-10700-003-009-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jul 1, 2024
End Date: Jun 30, 2028
Objective:
To develop an online platform featuring a database of plant secondary metabolites based on high resolution, high accuaracy mass spectrometry and a set of software programs for deconvoluting complex MS data for metabolite identification and conducting chemometric analysis.
Approach:
This agreement is aimed at meeting the demand for new and/or improved methods and the need for comprehensive data for botanical materials and dietary supplements. The broad objective goals of this agreement will be accomplished through on-going efforts through the full 4-year project duration. Analysis of botanicals and supplements for Botanical Database Central will be a continuous process with the aim to generate the most complete database possible to support botanical research. The collaborator will construct/maintain a framework for organizing data for botanical materials and commercial botanical supplements based on data obtained by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution accurate mass/tandem mass spectrometry. The cooperator will develop a program that will allow users to obtain compositional data for botanicals identified by scientific or common names. The program will provide chromatograms and mass tables for each botanical. The program will also allow users to search for botanicals containing components by name, mass, or chemical formula. Expert programs for flavonoids, glucosinolates, and multifactorial multivariate analysis of variance are now in place and new programs for analysis of proanthocyanidins will be integrated in the coming year. Development of a database for dietary fiber and a chemometrics overview will be pursued in coming years. New botanical data will be added to the database as supplied by USDA. The agreement will continue to support the training of post-doctoral research associates in the fields of analytical chemistry, nutrition, and dietary supplements. This agreement will fund the collaborator to annually attend an appropriate scientific conference to present the results of the collaboration and to travel to Beltsville for in-person discussion of research progress.
