High‐throughput screening of secondary metabolites by Sorbus pohuashanensis cells under environmental stress using UHPLC‐QTOF combined with AntDAS

Environment stress can promote the synthesis and accumulation of a series of secondary metabolites, which are important quality factors in medicinal plants. However, the data related to metabolites is often too large, making it difficult to screen quickly, accurately and comprehensively various differential compounds. In this study, a high‐throughput screening method for differential secondary metabolites produced by medicinal plants under environmental stress has been developed based on ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC–QTOF) and automatic data analysis strategy. This work uses Sorbus pohuashanensis cells with biotic stress (Harpin protein) and abiotic stress (Cd2+) as potential environmental stress factors. The results showed that S. pohuashanensis cells could rapidly respond to both Harpin protein and Cd2+ within 24 h, and a significant positive correlation was observed between their concentration (within a certain range) and induction time. The proposed screening method can automatically screen the bulk UHPLC–QTOF metabolic data for differential compounds with high‐throughput, and also perform preliminary identification of their possible structures. The screening results indicated that the stress response of S. pohuashanensis cells to Cd2+ was significantly higher than that of Harpin protein, and all of them could produce a series of biphenyls, terpenes, and other phytoalexins with stress‐resistance and physiological functional properties. Overall, the screening method provides an efficient and powerful tool to study the response mechanisms of plants to environmental stress, to improve the resistance of medicinal plants and also to select and breed high‐quality Chinese medicinal plants.