Insect infestation triggers metabolic shifts in pecans: implications for nutritional quality.

IF 3.5 2区农林科学 Q1 AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture Pub Date : 2025-09-29 DOI:10.1002/jsfa.70219

Lingyuan Zhou, Wei Zhang, Min He, Qingyang Li, Maokai Cui, Jinping Shu, Fubin Tang, Yihua Liu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) is a widely consumed edible nut, recognized for its nutritional and functional benefits. Insect infestation often results in subtle damage, limited to the fruit peel, leaving kernels visually unaffected; however, the associated metabolic alterations remain largely unexplored. This study applied a widely targeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) metabolomics approach to elucidate the metabolic changes in pecan kernels induced by insect infestation.

Results: A total of 1614 metabolites were identified, of which 129 showed significant alterations following insect stress. Both primary metabolites - including organic acids, amino acids, and lipids - and health-promoting secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and terpenoids were substantially affected. A Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis indicated significant disruptions in carbon metabolism, energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and phenolic biosynthesis. A metabolic network was constructed to depict the biochemical responses of pecans to insect infestation.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that insect infestation significantly alters the metabolic profile of pecans as an edible nut, which may affect their nutritional and functional qualities. These findings provide valuable insights to advance pest management and enhance pecan quality. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

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虫害引发山核桃的代谢变化：对营养质量的影响。

背景：山核桃（Carya illinensis）是一种广泛食用的可食用坚果，因其营养和功能益处而被认可。虫害往往会造成细微的损害，仅限于果皮，果仁在视觉上不受影响；然而，相关的代谢改变在很大程度上仍未被探索。本研究采用液相色谱-串联质谱（LC-MS/MS）代谢组学方法，研究昆虫侵染对山核桃果仁代谢的影响。结果：共鉴定出1614种代谢物，其中129种代谢物在昆虫胁迫下发生显著变化。初级代谢物（包括有机酸、氨基酸和脂类）和促进健康的次级代谢物（如类黄酮、酚酸和萜类）都受到了严重影响。京都基因与基因组百科（KEGG）通路分析表明，碳代谢、能量代谢、氨基酸代谢和酚类生物合成存在显著的破坏。建立了一个代谢网络来描述山核桃对虫害的生化反应。结论：昆虫侵染显著改变了山核桃作为食用坚果的代谢特征，可能影响其营养和功能品质。这些发现为推进害虫管理和提高山核桃质量提供了有价值的见解。©2025化学工业协会。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 工程技术-农业综合

CiteScore

8.10

自引率

4.90%

发文量

634

审稿时长

3.1 months

期刊介绍： The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture publishes peer-reviewed original research, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives and spotlights in these areas, with particular emphasis on interdisciplinary studies at the agriculture/ food interface. Published for SCI by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. SCI (Society of Chemical Industry) is a unique international forum where science meets business on independent, impartial ground. Anyone can join and current Members include consumers, business people, environmentalists, industrialists, farmers, and researchers. The Society offers a chance to share information between sectors as diverse as food and agriculture, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, materials, chemicals, environmental science and safety. As well as organising educational events, SCI awards a number of prestigious honours and scholarships each year, publishes peer-reviewed journals, and provides Members with news from their sectors in the respected magazine, Chemistry & Industry . Originally established in London in 1881 and in New York in 1894, SCI is a registered charity with Members in over 70 countries.