Dynamics of antioxidant activities, metabolites, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and phenolic biosynthetic genes in germinating Chinese wild rice (Zizania latifolia)

• The largest difference in antioxidant activity was observed between the G36 and G120 stage. • During germination, 315 metabolites were up-regulated and 28 were down-regulated. • Several phenolic acids and flavonoids and their derivatives increased significantly during germination. • Up-regulated genes promoted the accumulation of phenolics during germination. In this study, the antioxidant activity of germinating Chinese wild rice was found to decline initially, after which it increased. The largest difference in antioxidant activity was observed between the 36-h (G36) and the 120-h germination (G120) stage. We further assessed the dynamic changes in metabolites, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and phenolic biosynthetic genes in germinating Chinese wild rice. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry revealed that 315 metabolites were up-regulated and 28 were down-regulated between G36 and G120. Levels of p -hydroxybenzoic acid, p -hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillin, p -coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and epigallocatechin increased significantly during germination. Gene expression of four phenylalanine ammonia-lyases, one 4-coumarate-CoA ligase, one cinnamoyl-CoA reductase, two cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenases, one chalcone synthase, and one chalcone isomerase was significantly higher at G120 than at G36 and promoted phenolics accumulation. This study elucidated the biochemical mechanisms involved in antioxidant activity and phenolic profile changes during Chinese wild rice germination.