Comprehensive Evaluation of <i>Nanhaia speciosa</i> Germplasm Resources Using Agronomic Traits, Molecular Markers, and Metabolomics

<i>Nanhaia speciosa</i> is a valuable industrial crop known for its significant edible and medicinal properties, attributed to its abundance of secondary metabolites. This study aims to elucidate the genetic relationships among <i>N. speciosa</i>, enhance species identificati...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jing Yang, Nanchen Lai, Yiqin Zheng, Ruifeng Ji, Ping Wang, Wei Dai, Gantao Cheng, Xin He
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Agronomy
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/3/508
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Summary:<i>Nanhaia speciosa</i> is a valuable industrial crop known for its significant edible and medicinal properties, attributed to its abundance of secondary metabolites. This study aims to elucidate the genetic relationships among <i>N. speciosa</i>, enhance species identification accuracy, and select genetically stable, high-quality germplasms of <i>N. speciosa</i>. To achieve this, we conducted chloroplast gene amplification and sequencing, alongside an analysis of the agronomic traits of 19 <i>N. speciosa</i> germplasms. Additionally, non-targeted metabolomic profiling using UPLC-Q-Orbitrap/MS and chemometric methods was employed to assess their metabolic diversity and genetic relationships. The results revealed notable differences in DNA barcodes and secondary structures across the germplasms, with the <i>atp</i>F-<i>atp</i>H sequence successfully distinguishing all 19 germplasms into distinct varieties. Multivariate statistical analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and hierarchical clustering, identified 12 key marker metabolites that effectively differentiated the germplasms, consistent with the observed phenotypic diversity. A clustering analysis integrating genetic, phenotypic, and metabolomic data further validated the utility of DNA barcoding for species identification. The results of the comprehensive analysis showed that NDL-2 and NDL-18 exhibited relatively good edible and medicinal properties, while NDL-1 and NDL-19 exhibited relatively poor edible and medicinal properties. This study provides crucial insights for the breeding and genetic improvement of <i>N. speciosa</i> and related species, offering a valuable reference for the identification, conservation, and utilization of germplasm resources within the <i>N. speciosa</i>.
ISSN:2073-4395