Aged black garlic is a functional food in global markets; however, knowledge of compositional changes during its processing is still limited to few selected compounds and many unclear details necessitate a better elucidation. Herein, we exploited comparative approaches via UHPLC-Orbitrap HRMS for holistically profiling the garlic metabolome. During the heat treatment, organosulfur compounds such as allicin, diallyl disulfide, ajoene, S-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC) and γ-glutamyl-SAC were downregulated along with the time progress. Plenty of glycerophospholipids together with shikimate, aromatic amino acids, and vitamin B6 vitamers were significantly augmented; tryptophan was however consumed to generate downstream products manifested in nicotinate metabolism, aminobenzoate degradation, and Maillard reaction. These secondary metabolites serve as important signalling mediators or protectants against extreme thermal exposure. Besides, Heyns compounds and Amadori-rearrangement byproducts that potentially produce mutagenic effects were concentrated. Our findings provide in-depth insights into the BG production as well as guidance for future biological and food safety research.

Comparative UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS-based metabolomics unveils biochemical changes of black garlic during ageing process

ACS Fall 2021

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