Metabolome fingerprinting elucidates chemodiversity in Ornithogalum, Loncomelos, and Melomphis (Asparagaceae)

This research employed GC-MS metabolomics profiling on bulbs of three genera i.e., Ornithogalum, Loncomelos, and Melomphis (Asparagaceae), to elucidate their taxonomic relationships. The analysis of 30 specimens across 8 species (Ornithogalum comprising 3 species: O. cuspidatum, O. neurostegium, O. orthophyllum; Loncomelos including 4 species: L. arcuatum, L. brachystachys, L. bungei, L. kurdicum; and Melomphis persica) from Iran revealed 147 detected metabolites, classified in several main superclasses e.g., organic oxygen compounds (40 %), organic acids (23 %), and lipids (18 %). Additionally, the metabolites were grouped into classes, with carbohydrates comprising the majority (42 %), followed by carboxylic acids (17 %) and fatty acids (14 %). Multivariate statistics including the variable importance in projection, and hierarchical clustering heat map discerned metabolites differentiating the genera. Projections to latent structures discriminant analysis revealed that Ornithogalum exhibited significant metabolic divergence from the closely related taxa Loncomelos and Melomphis, aligning with their established phylogenetic divisions. Overall, this work significantly expands knowledge of the chemodiversity of these taxa. The findings provide a phylogenetic framework to guide further ethno-pharmacological, phytochemical, and evolutionary research on these geophyte taxa.