Characterization of dicaffeoylspermidine derivatives related glucosyltransferases during fruit development of goji berry

The fruit of Lycium barbarum (Lb), known as red goji berry, is a “superfruit” due to its abundance of bioactive compounds. Among these compounds, dicaffeoylspermidine derivatives (DCSPDs) have anti-oxidant and anti-Alzheimer’s Disease activity. This study employed ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry to investigate metabolic changes during the development and ripening stages of red goji berries. Totally 97 compounds, including 51 DCSPDs, were tentatively identified. Correlation analysis of these DCSPDs revealed that glycosyltransferases (GTs) play an important role in the formation of glycosylated DCSPDs. In vitro experiments characterized 3 novel GTs could add a glucosyl moiety to N1-caffeoyl-N10-dihydrocaffeoyl spermidine. Homologous GTs from L. ruthenicum (Lr) exhibited similar activity, despite the absence of abundant glycosylated DCSPDs in Lr. These findings provide insights into the metabolic changes and interconnections among active compounds in red goji berries. The identified GTs hold potential for metabolic engineering of DCSPDs and functional food development.