GC-MS profiling of metabolites in blue and white varieties of heirloom butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) seeds

The Butterfly Pea is a tropical legume, a perennial herbaceous plant commonly found in Southeast Asia. The plant and its products are rich in bioactive ingredients, attracting the industrial and biopharmaceutical sectors due to their various applications. In this study, the blue and white flowered variety seeds of Butterfly Pea methanolic extract were comprehensively screened to identify the bioactive compounds and their drug-like properties. The methanolic extract was prepared by the cold maceration method, and the crude dried extract was subjected to GC-MS analysis for seed metabolite profiling. The chromatogram analysis revealed 39 abundant phytoconstituents, demonstrating the diverse chemical composition of the Butterfly Pea seeds. Among the identified compounds, the relatively abundant bioactive components in the blue variety seeds were stearic acid (64.6%), methyl stearate (54.0%), hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester (48.2%), and ethriol (35.9%). the white variety seeds primarily included palmitic acid (71.0%), hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester (53.4%), methyl stearate (42.0%), and hydrocinnamic acid (30.5%). Additionally, both varieties exhibited a diverse array of shared compounds reflecting their phylogenetic proximity. These metabolites are associated with key bioactivities in plant signaling and defense, playing vital roles in growth regulation, stress adaptation, and exhibiting potential antidiabetic properties. The research highlights the potential of the butterfly pea seeds as a valuable resource of active metabolites for vast research and therapeutic applications.