Stage-specific metabolomics suggests a trade-off between primary and secondary metabolites for nutritional advantage in Lepidium latifolium L

[Display omitted] •Stage specific untargeted metabolomics was performed in Lepidium latifolium sprouts.•GC–MS and LC-MS profiles showed 229 metabolites that were significantly affected.•1st to 3rd week sprouts clustered together, away from 4th to 8th week, and mature.•Trade-off between sulfur metabolites explained differential glucosinolate content. Lepidium latifolium L. is an established phytofood of the Ladakh Himalayas that contains differential content of important glucosinolates (GLS) in specific stages of sprouts. Therefore, in order to harness its nutraceutical potential, a comprehensive mass spectrometry-based stage-specific untargeted metabolomic analysis was performed. A total of 318 metabolites were detected, out of which 229 were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) changed during different stages. The Principal Component Analysis plot clearly differentiated different growth stages into three clusters. The nutritionally important metabolites, including amino acids, sugars, organic acids, and fatty acids, were found significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in the first cluster consisting of 1st, 2nd and 3rd week sprouts. The higher energy requirements during the early growth stages were observed with the higher metabolites of glycolysis and the TCA cycle. Further, the trade-off between primary and secondary sulfur-containing metabolites was observed, which may explain the differential GLS content in different growth stages.