Lipidomic Profiling of Sweetpotato During Different Developmental Stages Using LC-ESI-MS/MS

Despite the nutritional importance of sweetpotato, systematic studies on its lipid metabolism remain largely unexplored. To address this gap, this study investigates the dynamic changes in lipid composition during the development of sweetpotato storage roots using a comprehensive lipidomics approach. Through LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of ‘Guangshu 79’ (G79), an orange-fleshed sweetpotato cultivar, across five developmental stages (S1–S5), 612 lipid species were identified, spanning five major classes: glycerolipids (GL, 57.6%), glycerophospholipids (GP, 24.6%), sphingolipids (SP, 13.9%), fatty acids (FA, 3.6%), and prenol lipids (PR, 0.3%). Early developmental phases (S1–S2) were characterized by upregulation of structural phospholipids (PC, PE) and energy-storage triglycerides (TG), supporting active membrane biogenesis and carbon allocation. Mid-development (S3) showed peak TG accumulation (1439.30 nmol/g), while later stages (S4–S5) exhibited sphingolipid-mediated signaling (Cer, HexCer) and membrane stabilization through glycolipids (MGDG, DGDG). KEGG pathway analysis revealed glycerophospholipid metabolism (25.8%) and sphingolipid metabolism (19.3%) as dominant pathways. These findings systematically characterize the lipid composition and dynamic changes during sweetpotato storage root development, providing a valuable resource for future research on lipid metabolism in root crops.