Exploration of chemical interactions between Viscum combreticola Engl. and its hosts through a metabolic profiling approach and molecular networking

Babra Moyo, Nikita Tawanda Tavengwa, Ian Dubery, Ntakadzeni Edwin Madala

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Viscum combreticola Engl., an evergreen semi-parasitic mistletoe plant, is utilized in herbal medicines. Herein, a UHPLC-q-TOF-MS profiling and molecular networking approach were used to investigate the chemical interactions between V. combreticola and two of its host plants, Combretum erythrophyllum and Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia Pax. Moreover, in vitro grown V. combreticola seedlings were used to explore the host independence of the phytochemistry of these plants. The phytochemistry of V. combreticola was found to be independent and distinct from that of the host plants. Moreover, both mature V. combreticola and in vitro seedlings displayed diverse polyphenolic compounds but exhibited distinct metabolic profiles. Notably, the esterification of phenolic acids (hydroxycinnamic and benzoic acids) to quinic acid was a unique chemistry that was observed in both mature and in vitro grown V. combreticola. Beyond providing metabolic fingerprints of the studied samples, the UHPLC-q-TOF-MS and molecular networking effectively visualized plant-plant chemical relationships at a metabolite level.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2266511
JournalJournal of Plant Interactions
Volume18
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Keywords

  • Viscum combreticola Engl
  • host dependency
  • mass spectrometry
  • molecular networking
  • phytochemical profiling
  • plant-plant interactions

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Plant Science

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