Comparative Analysis of Metabolites in Contrasting Chickpea Cultivars

Abstract

Phenolics are the major class of plant secondary metabolites. Among half of the plant phenolics are the flavonoids. The production of these metabolites induces during stresses and thus helps the plant to cope with the environment. Anthocyanins, a class of flavonoids protects plant from harmful UV rays, attracts the pollinators and seed dispersal, helps in mimicry and also helps in the root nodulation process in legumes. Chickpea is a leguminous and major pulse crop plant, shown in the winter season faces lots of stress. Anthocyanins and other phenolics help the plant to tolerate such stresses. Desi cultivars have more phenolics and anthocyanin as compared to the kabuli one. Flowers have higher concentration of anthocyanin than in leaves. Untargeted metabolomics profiling of the dry powdered mature seed samples of contrasting chickpea cultivars detects primary and secondary metabolites such as fatty acids, phenolics, phelols, terpenes, esters,sugar,etc in the seeds of chickpea.