Lipophilic Metabolites of Spartina maritima and Puccinellia maritima Involved in Their Tolerance to Salty Environments

Chem Biodivers. 2020 Oct;17(10):e2000316. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.202000316. Epub 2020 Sep 14.

Abstract

Spartina maritima and Puccinellia maritima are two fascinating but underexplored halophytic species, and herein, the chemical profile of their hexane extracts is described. Terpenoids and sterols were the most abundant chemical groups in both species. The second dominant class was alcohols and the third esters of fatty acids. The chemical lipophilic profile of both S. maritima and P. maritima is herein reported for the first time. Through the accomplished data, it is possible to conclude that these species are rich in essential compounds that can be relevant to endorse their use as nutraceuticals. Furthermore, through a principal component analysis, a clear differentiation between the taxa was achieved, which indicates that their response to salinity stress is different. That fact was confirmed by the pathway enrichment analysis, which showed that the induced changes in metabolic pathways vary in each species.

Keywords: Puccinellia maritima; Spartina maritima; metabolome profile; sterols; terpenoids.

MeSH terms

  • Poaceae / physiology*
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • Salinity
  • Salt Tolerance
  • Species Specificity