ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Metabolism and Chemodiversity
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1669610
This article is part of the Research TopicMolecular Mechanisms and Multi-Omics Approaches in Plant Secondary Metabolism: Regulation, Stress Responses, and Biotechnological ApplicationsView all 3 articles
Tissue-Specific Biosynthesis and Regulation of Alkaloids, Flavonoids, and Terpenoids in Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.): Insights from Integrated Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Huaiyin Normal University, Huai'an, China
- 2Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huai'an, China
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Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.), a medicinal and edible plant, contains bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential. However, the tissue-specific distribution and biosynthetic pathways of these compounds remain poorly characterized. This study employed metabolomics and transcriptomics to analyze metabolite profiles and gene expression in fenugreek roots, stems, and leaves. Using UPLC-MS/MS, we identified 2,124 metabolites and revealed distinct tissue-specific distribution patterns of alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids. Full-length transcriptome sequencing and RNA-seq analysis identified tissue-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Notably, the roots were found to be the primary site for the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids. Multi-omics integration enabled the identification of key biosynthetic genes associated with these pathways, such as cytochrome P450s (CYP450s) and chalcone synthase (CHS). Integrated co-expression networks and molecular docking simulations revealed functional associations between ABC transporters (ATP-binding cassette transporters) and bioactive compounds. Furthermore, transcriptional regulation analysis identified MYB and bHLH transcription factors as potential modulators of metabolic biosynthesis. This study enhances understanding of metabolic regulations in fenugreek and offers molecular resources for medicinal plant breeding.
Keywords: Fenugreek, Metabolomics, Transcriptomics, multi-omics, secondary metabolites, UPLC-MS/MS, ABC transporter, transcription factor
Received: 23 Jul 2025; Accepted: 01 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Dong, Han, Man, Deng and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xiaokang Han, Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huai'an, China
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