Abstract:This study explored the differences of metabolites in Yunnan Qiubei chili at different growth stages.The nontargeted metabolites from Yun dried chili No.7（Y7）and traditional Qiubei chili（QB）in green and red ripe stages were discussed respectively by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry（LC-MS）. It was found that the quantity and component varied with different growth stages and varieties.The quantity of metabolites in red ripe stage was significantly higher than that in green ripe stage，while the differential metabolites in QB exceeded those in Y7. Metabolites such as glycerophospholipids，flavonoids，capsaicin，and amino acids were abundant in the two varieties，which could be used as potential biomarkers to distinguish Y7 and QB.According to the enrichment analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG），the key metabolic pathways of Y7 and QB in the two growth stages were mainly enriched in lipid metabolism. In addition，different metabolites such as L-glutamate，sucrose，and trehalose were annotated into pathways related to fruit development and color transformation，including ATP-binding cassette transporter，secondary metabolic biosynthesis，and phenylpropane metabolism. In conclusion，the metabolic components of Y7 and QB had their advantages. They provided not only the basis for nutritional function evaluation but also theoretical reference for high-quality breeding and harvesting of dried chili.