Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The metabolome of plants is influenced by various factors, especially environmental, as the season in which they are grown. So, distinct varieties of the identical plant might show an increase or decrease in metabolites. The diversity of content of primary and secondary metabolites can also determine the variation in their biological properties. Due to the current occurrence of various fennel varieties, the crop can now be grown for the entire year. OBJECTIVE: This work used an integrated approach of LC/MS and NMR analysis to characterize the metabolome of fennel waste of different varieties by multivariate statistical analysis. METHODS: The extracts were investigated by NMR and LC/MS analysis to focus attention on the primary and secondary metabolites. Both LC-HRMS and NMR data were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA). RESULTS: The (1)H-NMR analysis led to the identification of 15 primary metabolites, such as amino acids, carbohydrates, and organic acid derivatives. The secondary metabolites identified by LC/MS analysis mainly belong to the phenolic, lipid, and fatty acid compounds classes. CONCLUSION: This integrated approach guarantees a precise and complete overview of the variations in the metabolic expression of the fennel varieties grown in different seasons.