Integrated untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics reveals functional- and taste-related compounds in stir-fried Trichosanthis Semen

Trichosanthis Semen (TS) is widely used as both a food and traditional medicine. It is rich in diverse compounds (e.g., fatty acids, amino acids, and terpenes), which contribute to its functional and sensory properties. Stir-frying alters the functional and sensory properties of TS, yet the underlying chemical basis remains unclear. In this study, an integrated untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics strategy based on liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) was employed to characterize compositional differences between raw and stir-fried TS. A total of 144 metabolites and 295 lipids were identified. Omics analysis revealed that 29 metabolites and 54 lipids exhibited significant changes after stir-frying, of which 25 compounds showed increased abundance. Based on these differential compounds, molecular docking suggested that 19 upregulated compounds may have potential relevance to constipation-related regulation, while sensory analysis tentatively linked 39 altered compounds to taste-related attributes. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive chemical profiling of TS and offers a preliminary link between processing-induced chemical changes and functional as well as sensory properties.