Non-targeted lipidomic profiling of eight medicinal and edible homologous fruits and seeds: Unveiling lipid signatures and nutritional potential

This study presents the first comprehensive non-targeted lipidomic profiling of eight medicinal and edible homologous (MEH) fruit-seed herbs using UHPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS. A total of 391 lipid molecular species spanning six categories were identified, with glycerolipids predominating (89.3%). Multivariate analyses revealed distinct lipidomic fingerprints, and 40 differentially abundant lipids (DALs) were identified as potential markers, enriched in glycerolipid, sphingolipid, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Nutritional assessment showed marked interspecies variations, with Platycladus orientalis (POSO) exhibiting the highest health-promoting index (HPI: 38.92) and lowest n-6/n-3 ratio (2.55), while Prunus persica (PPSO) showed the poorest indices. Notably, betaine lipid DGTS(14:0_18:4) was detected across all species, suggesting a need to re-evaluate the assumption that angiosperm seeds universally lack betaine lipids, although a microbial or endophytic origin cannot be excluded. The chemotaxonomic distribution of coenzyme Q9/Q10—in which Poaceae (CLSO) and Oleaceae (LLO) accumulated CoQ9, Cannabaceae (CSO) retained exclusively CoQ9, while Fabaceae (ACSO) and Rosaceae (PASO, PJSO, PPSO) retained CoQ10, with Cupressaceae (POSO) containing CoQ10 exclusively—validates recent evolutionary theory. The extreme 25.77-fold variation in phytoceramide content, with Cannabis sativa (CSO) and Astragalus complanatus (ACSO) showing the highest levels, highlights compositional features relevant to nutricosmetic applications. These findings establish a comprehensive lipidomic database for MEH herbs, supporting their rational utilization as functional food ingredients and dietary supplements based on compositional profiling, pending further in vivo validation of bioactivity.