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The present study explored the changes in phytochemical profiles (proximate, amino acids, fatty acids, and lignans) and antioxidant activity of Schisandra sphenathera fruit with three maturity stages (un-ripen, semi-ripen and fully-ripen). The results showed that the whole fruit contained high levels of essential amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and oleic acids), whose content slightly reduced with maturity. Meanwhile, the contents of total phenolics, total flavonoids, and total tannins were generally decreased in the extractable, free, conjugated, and bound phenolic fractions, while the total anthocyanin content in these phenolic fractions were increased during ripening. Furthermore, the lignan profiling of these fractions indicated an increased content of schisandrol A and gomisin J, but a decreased content of schisandrin B and schisandrin C in the extractable phenolic fractions during fruit maturation. It was noted that schisantherin B and schisandrin A were recorded in all phenolic fractions, alongside schisandrin B and schisandrin C detected only in extractable form. Additionally, the extractable phenolic fractions exerted considerable antioxidant activity with little or low significance at three maturity stages. Therefore, the whole fruit of S. sphenathera abound with unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant lignans, boosting its chances of being fully utilized as a versatile and economical crop in pharmaceutical and food industries for different purposes. • S. sphenathera fruit contained high levels of essential amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids. • Both extractable and non-extractable phenolics changed with ripening stages. • Lignan profiles of different phenolics fractions were also varied. • Schisantherin B and schisandrin A presented in free, conjugated and bound forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scutellaria baicalensis is a flowering plant of the Lamiaceae genus whose petals are mostly purple, with a few being pink and white. To elucidate the kinetics behind S. baicalensis petal coloration, an integrative analysis of target flavonoid metabolic and transcriptome profiles was performed to identify the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway, which was differently activated in S. baicalensis germplasms with three different petal colors (white, pink and purple). Metabolomic profile data revealed that 18 anthocyanins were significantly different in S. baicalensis petals. Transcriptomic data showed that S. baiANS in anthocyanin biosynthesis was significantly downregulated in white flower petals. Interestingly, the sequence variations were found in the S. baiANS promoter region, where it was likely that a mutation reduced S. baiANS expression in white S. baicalensis flowers. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) analysis of S. baiMYB indicated that it was not bound to the S. baiANS promoters of white S. baicalensis flowers. Dual-luciferase assays further confirmed that the S. baiANS promoter decreased promoter activity, which resulted in reduced anthocyanin biosynthesis in white S. baicalensis flowers. The findings of this study elucidate the mechanisms behind the loss-of-color phenotype in white S. baicalensis flowers while providing potential leads for further studies on biological and flower evolution. [Display omitted] • Eighteen types of anthocyanins were detected in three S. baicalensis germplasms. • S. baiANS were significantly differentially expressed in White-F S. baicalensis. • Variations in the promoter region resulted in a loss-of-color phenotype. • S.baiMYB transcription factors did not regulate S. baiANS to influence the formation of flower color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]