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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #419480
Research Project: Solanaceous Crop Improvement and Disease Management

Location: Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory

Title: Maize grain metabolite profiling by NMR: Effects of growing year, variety, and cropping system

Author
item SOBOLEV, ANATOLY - National Research Council - Italy
item ACCIARO, ERICA - National Research Council - Italy
item MILUTINOVIC, MILICA - University Of Belgrade
item BOŽUNOVIC, JELENA - University Of Belgrade
item ANICIC, NEDA - University Of Belgrade
item MIŠIC, DANIJELA - University Of Belgrade
item Mattoo, Autar

Submitted to: Molecules
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/26/2024
Publication Date: 7/23/2024
Citation: Sobolev, A.P., Acciaro, E., Milutinovic, M., Božunovic, J., Anicic, N., Mišic, D., Mattoo, A.K. 2024. Maize grain metabolite profiling by NMR: Effects of growing year, variety, and cropping system. Molecules. 29(17):4097. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29174097.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29174097

Interpretive Summary: Many attempts have been made to improve the nutritional value of maize grain using sustainable cropping systems. Scientist at USDA/ARS and collaborators from Italy and Serbia have characterized the composition and nutritional value of maize grain originated from cropping systems, genetic background (variety), and growing year using untargeted Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) metabolomics technique. Findings from this study will provide new knowledge on maize micronutrient contents under the influence of agronomic practices. The study will help scientists and farmers and will provide new information for maize farming practices.

Technical Abstract: Considering that maize (Zea mays L.) is a staple food for a large segment of the population worldwide, many attempts have been made to improve the nutritional value of its grain and at the same time to achieve sustainable cropping systems. The present study aimed to characterize the composition and nutritional value of maize grain as influenced by cropping system, genetic background (variety), and growing year using untargeted NMR metabolomics. The composition of both water- (sugars and polyols, organic acids, and amino acids) and liposoluble metabolites (free and esterified fatty acids, sterols, and lipids) extracted from the maize grain was determined. Multivariate statistical analyses (PCA and ANOVA) pointed to the growing year and the variety as the most important random and fixed factors, respectively, influencing the metabolite profile. The samples were separated along PC1 and PC3 according to the growing year and the variety, respectively. A higher content of citric acid and diunsaturated fatty acids and a lower content of tyrosine, trigonelline, and monounsaturated fatty acids was observed in the organic with respect to the conventional variety. The effect of the cropping system was overwhelmed by the random effect of the growing year. The results provide novel knowledge on the influence of agronomic practices on maize micronutrient contents.