Potential hypoglycemic metabolites in dark tea fermented by Eurotium cristatum based on UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS combining global metabolomic and spectrum–effect relationship analyses

The preventive and therapeutic effects of dark tea fermented by Eurotium cristatum (DTE) in glucose metabolism have been demonstrated. However, few studies have investigated comprehensive changes in the chemical composition and activity in DTE before and after fermentation. In this study, the metabolic profiling of raw samples and fermented samples was determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS). Furthermore, a systematic analytical strategy combining global metabolomics and the spectrum-effect relationship based on α-glucosidase inhibition was employed for screening discriminant metabolites. As a result, 15 discriminant metabolites were identified in DTE samples. Among them, 10 metabolites (4 fatty acids, 1 dyphylline derivative, 3 lysophosphatidylcholines, and 2 triterpenes) increased in relative contents and the contents of the other 5 polyphenol metabolites decreased after fermentation. These metabolites were critical constituents possibly associated with DTE's hypoglycemic activity, which also might be suitable as quality evaluation indicators. This study provided a worthy insight into the exploration of representative active constituents or quality indicators of DTE.