Influence of environmental conditions and seasonality on the metabolome and lipidome of Psychotria viridis leaves.

The specialized metabolite profile in Psychotria viridis leaves, a plant used in ayahuasca preparation, varies with growing conditions and seasonality. Flavonoids were the main compounds differentiating seasonal samples. Energy-related pathways—ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, and the citrate cycle—showed significant seasonal variation. Flavonoid, flavone, and flavonol biosynthesis differed between plants grown in full sunlight versus shade, suggesting a response to oxidative stress. DMT concentrations did not significantly change across conditions.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Psychotria viridis Ruiz & Pav. has gained significant attention due to its role in the preparation of ayahuasca. This study aimed to improve the understanding of the specialized metabolite profile in P. viridis leaves and to evaluate how growing conditions and seasonality impact this composition. The specimens were grown either in the open field or in the shaded environment of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis L.) cultivation, forming a clonal population of the mother plant. Samples were collected in all four seasons of the year. After a three-phase extraction of the samples, the aqueous and organic phases were analyzed using an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization and Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS) system. The acquired data were processed using MS-DIAL 4.9 and MetaboAnalyst 5.0 for multivariate statistics and pathway activity analysis. Chemical variations were investigated employing principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The most important identified compounds for differentiation according to seasonality were flavonoids. The pathways presenting significant variation in response to seasonality were related to energy generation through biosynthesis and consumption of carbohydrates: ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, and citrate cycle. Meanwhile, the biosynthesis of flavonoids, flavones, and flavonols was associated with the influence of the cultivation location in full sunlight or shade in an intercrop, indicating a plant response to oxidative stress. In our comprehensive analysis, DMT concentrations did not exhibit any significant statistical variation across the studied conditions.