Untargeted Metabolomics Reveals Region-Specific Metabolic Signatures and Discriminative Markers in Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum L.)

Background/Objectives: Goji berry (Lycium barbarum L.), renowned as a typical medicinal and edible plant, is mainly cultivated across four agroclimatic zones in China, including semi-arid, arid, monsoon, and high-altitude regions. Ningxia has long been recognized as the daodi production area for goji berries. However, the metabolic diversity of goji berries from other core cultivation regions and how these differences are shaped by local environments remain poorly understood. Methods: In this study, untargeted metabolomics was employed to comprehensively investigate the metabolic difference in goji across seven production regions. By integrating multivariate analysis with KEGG pathway enrichment (p < 0.05), 49 discriminative markers enriched in 10 key pathways were putatively identified, and their roles in plant stress tolerance were elucidated. In addition, we conducted targeted quantification of key bioactive components and antioxidant capacity. Results: Significant regional differences were revealed. Redundancy analysis further identified rainfall, temperature, and UV radiation as the key climatic drivers of this variation. Conclusions: These findings provide insights into the metabolic adaptation of goji to local environments and serve as a basis for further functional studies.