## 4 Discussion  
### Relationship Between Tissue Specificity and Pharmacological Effects  
In the metabolomics analysis, different tissues of lotus exhibited distinct metabolic features. For instance, Sta differed from other tissues significantly. The distinct accumulation patterns of flavonoids, alkaloids, and organooxygen compounds in various parts of the lotus not only contributed to their unique pharmacological properties but also provide insights into the underlying the mechanism of \"homologous and different effects\". \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Module** & **Structural Genes** & \begin{tabular}{c} **Interacting Genes** \\ **Number** \\ \end{tabular}  & \begin{tabular}{c} **Strongly Correlated** \\ **Flavonoids** \\ \end{tabular}  \\ \hline MEblack & \begin{tabular}{c} LOC104608517 \\ (_FLS_) \\ \end{tabular}  & 154 & kaempfer \\ MEturquoise & \begin{tabular}{c} LOC104603248 \\ (_HCT_) \\ \end{tabular}  & 54 & \begin{tabular}{c} pinobanksin, \\ malignenin \\ chalcone \\ \end{tabular}  \\ MEturquoise & \ \begin{tabular}{c} LOC104588272 \\ (_C3\({}^{\prime}\)H_) \\ \end{tabular}  & 199 &
\begin{tabular}{c} pinobanksin, \\ malign  
Sta has peculiar metabolic features, in which the relative contents of secondary metabolites including amygdala, liquidambaric, echinatin, and gerani are much higher than that in other tissues. Therefore, this may be the source of its pharmacological antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, hypoglycemic, and immunomodulatory properties [22; 38; 47; 48; 49; 50; 51; 52; 53; 54]. These metabolites can be considered as key indicators for quality evaluation when developing products related to Sta. Additionally, Sta are enriched with many phenol lipids, which can improve their resistance to salt stress [55]. As light-exposed tissues, Pet, Rec, and Flo have similar metabolic characteristics, which are majorly characterized by the abundant accumulation of flavonoid components. Flavonoids are an important class of antioxidants and their synthesis in plants is strongly influenced by light [56]. Pinocembrin, liquirtigenin, pinobanksin, and naringenin chalcone exhibit various bioactivities, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, neuroprotective, intestinal flora regulatory, antidiabetic, anti hyperuricemic, and antialergic effects [57; 58; 59; 60; 61; 62; 63]. The present study revealed that these compounds were more enriched in Pet than in other tissues, which is important for further comprehensively developing and utilizing Pet as well as for developing quality standards for the traditional Chinese medicine Nelumbinis Petiolus. Dihydroquercetin possess various biological properties, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-Alzheimer's disease, cardioprotective, and hepatocyte effects [64; 65]. Additionally, dihydroquercetin shows promising efficacy in the prevention and treatment of skin-related diseases, such as preventing skin cancer [66; 67], treating psoriasis, alleviating skin inflammation [68; 69; 70; 71], and delaying skin aging [71; 72]. As a natural botanical rich in dihydroquercetin, Rec can be efficiently used in manufacturing skin wound dressings [73]. Delphinidin exerts good pharmacological activities including anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, cardiovascular protective, and neuroprotective effects, as well as inhibition of abnormal angiogenesis [74; 75], which is significantly enriched in Flo. It also affects the antidiabetic and anti-obesity pharmacological effects of Flo. Although Sem and Plu originate from the same organ with some similarity in metabolite composition, their gene expression patterns are significantly distinct. This shows how small genetic differences can cause significant functional differentiation even in similar general environments. The enrichment of metabolites including terpenoids and proanthocyanidins in Plu may be responsible for its antioxidant capacity [18; 76].