Unraveling the metabolic profile regulation of camellia oilseeds under insect and heat stress: Insights into functional effects and mechanistic basis

There is very little information on the impacts of pre/post-harvest stresses on oilseeds. Individual and combined insect (pre-harvest) and heat stress (post-harvest) impacts on the metabolic profile of camellia oilseeds (COs) were investigated using a combination of widely-targeted metabolomics and network pharmacology. A total of 1875 metabolites were identified. In response to individual and combined stresses, 169 (insect),149 (heat), and 21 (insect + heat) metabolites were screened as differential metabolic markers (DEMs), Terpenoids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids are the most impacted metabolite species, accounting for almost 49% of total DEMs. Then network pharmacological analysis identifies 98 key active ingredients (AIs) in CO. A single stress may induce CO to impede cardiovascular system function, but the combined stress induced AI-promoting effects of CO in the urinary system. The individual and combined perturbed biological mechanisms were related to the flavonoid biosynthesis and the biosynthesis of various plant secondary metabolites pathway, respectively.