Integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics reveal metabolite differences between wild and cultivated Angelica sinensis.

Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, a traditional Chinese herb widely used in food and medicine, predominantly grows in high-altitude regions under wild conditions. With the scarcity of wild resources, cultivated Angelica sinensis has garnered growing attention in recent years. However, the metabolic disparities and regulatory mechanisms between wild and cultivated A. sinensis remain poorly understood. This study employed an integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic approach to compare their metabolic profiles and biosynthetic pathways. Metabolomic profiling revealed 131 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) primarily enriched in fatty acid metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis, with wild A. sinensis displaying significantly elevated levels of these compounds compared to the cultivated counterpart. Transcriptome analysis found 18,993 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 9 key structural genes involved in fatty acid, amino acid, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis being differentially regulated. 9 core structural genes (tktA, metE, GOT1, GOT2, ADT, ACX, PAL, 4CL, and CCR) potentially underlie the chemical compositional disparities observed between wild and cultivated A. sinensis. These findings advance our understanding of the molecular basis for metabolic adaptation in this potential industrial crop.