UHPLC-MS/MS-based analysis of lipidomic profiling reveals age-group-associated and species-specific lipid characteristics in Anabarilius grahami.

Anabarilius grahami is a vulnerable endemic cyprinid fish in Yunnan Province, yet its muscle-lipid metabolic features remain poorly understood. In this study, UHPLC-MS/MS-based lipidomics was applied to compare the lipidomes of Anabarilius grahami at three age groups with those of Carassius auratus from a single age group. A total of 1703 lipid metabolites were detected, with glycerophospholipids accounting for the largest proportion (59.84%). Seven differentially abundant lipids (DALs) were identified as potential biomarkers for distinguishing C. auratus and A. grahami. In addition, three DALs were identified that differentiated A. grahami across the three age groups. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that the KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that the differential lipids between A. grahami and C. auratus were mainly enriched in glycerophospholipid metabolism and PUFA metabolism pathways. Up-regulated PC (18:1/22:5) and LPC may act as potential substrates for for the release of α-linolenic acid and linoleic acid. This study expands our understanding of lipid metabolism in farmed A. grahami and supplies potential lipid biomarkers, supporting further investigations on fish metabolic traits.