HARNESSING METABOLOMICS TO COMBAT FUSARIUM WILT IN PIGEONPEA: A LC-MS AND GC-MS PERSPECTIVE

Introduction Pigeonpea has been a traditional staple in India, valued for its nutritional and therapeutic benefits since ancient times. Renowned for its diverse pharmacological properties, it exhibits antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antitubercular, antioxidant, neuroprotective, antihypertensive, antihyperglycemic, and anticancer activities. However, its cultivation is challenged by various biotic and abiotic stress factors. Among them, Fusarium wilt (Fusarium udum Butler), a devastating soil-borne disease, causes significant yield losses across major pigeonpea production areas. Objectives This study aims to identify key metabolites involved in defense pathways and their interactions with the host plant by analyzing and comparing the metabolite profiles of healthy and diseased (fusarium wilt-infected) pigeonpea genotype UP 9-I using GC-MS and LC-MS/MS. Methods LC-MS and GC-MS untargeted metabolomics were used to explore and analyze pigeonpea genotype (UP 9-I). For LC-MS/MS, 0.25g of fresh leaves (healthy & diseased) were mixed with 30 mL water-methanol, filtered (0.2 μm), and 5 μL was injected for analysis. For GC-MS, 50 mg of leaves were crushed with 2 mL 80% methanol, concentrated (100 μL), derivatized with 100 μL MSTFA, incubated (65°C, 1 hour), filtered (0.2 μm), and injected. The extract was filtered (0.2 μm filter) and transferred for GC-MS analysis.