Quantification of Antioxidant Phenolic Compounds in a New Chrysanthemum Cultivar by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detection and Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Exploring Plants with Flowers: From Therapeutic Nutritional Benefits to Innovative Sustainable Uses

Flowers have played a significant role in society, focusing on their aesthetic value rather than their food potential. This study's goal was to look into flowering plants for everything from health benefits to other possible applications. This review presents detailed information on 119 species of flowers with agri-food and health relevance. Data were collected on their family, species, common name, commonly used plant part, bioremediation applications, main chemical compounds, medicinal and gastronomic uses, and concentration of bioactive compounds such as carotenoids and phenolic compounds. In this respect, 87% of the floral species studied contain some toxic compounds, sometimes making them inedible, but specific molecules from these species have been used in medicine. Seventy-six percent can be consumed in low doses by infusion. In addition, 97% of the species studied are reported to have medicinal uses (32% immune system), and 63% could be used in the bioremediation of contaminated environments. Significantly, more than 50% of the species were only analysed for total concentrations of carotenoids and phenolic compounds, indicating a significant gap in identifying specific molecules of these bioactive compounds. These potential sources of bioactive compounds could transform the health and nutraceutical industries, offering innovative approaches to combat oxidative stress and promote optimal well-being.

Characteristic Volatile Fingerprints of Four Chrysanthemum Teas Determined by HS-GC-IMS

Volatile composition is an important feature that determines flavor, which actively affects the overall evaluation of chrysanthemum tea. In this study, HS-GC-IMS (headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry) was performed to characterize the volatile profiles of different chrysanthemum tea subtypes. Forty-seven volatiles of diverse chemical nature were identified and quantified. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) revealed that four chrysanthemum teas were distinct from each other based on their volatile compounds. Furthermore, this work provides reference methods for detecting novel volatile organic compounds in chrysanthemum tea plants and products.

Linarin, a Glycosylated Flavonoid, with Potential Therapeutic Attributes: A Comprehensive Review

Many flavonoids, as eminent phenolic compounds, have been commercialized and consumed as dietary supplements due to their incredible human health benefits. In the present study, a bioactive flavone glycoside linarin (LN) was designated to comprehensively overview its phytochemical and biological properties. LN has been characterized abundantly in the Cirsium, Micromeria, and Buddleja species belonging to Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, and Scrophulariaceae families, respectively. Biological assessments exhibited promising activities of LN, particularly, the remedial effects on central nervous system (CNS) disorders, whereas the remarkable sleep enhancing and sedative effects as well as AChE (acetylcholinesterase) inhibitory activity were highlighted. Of note, LN has indicated promising anti osteoblast proliferation and differentiation, thus a bone formation effect. Further biological and pharmacological assessments of LN and its optimized semi-synthetic derivatives, specifically its therapeutic characteristics on osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, might lead to uncovering potential drug candidates.

Rapid visualized characterization of phenolic taste compounds in tea extract by high-performance thin-layer chromatography coupled to desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Phenolic compounds are the important taste source of tea infusion. In this paper, the phenolic compounds in tea extracts were separated by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), and then in-situ determined by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS). Total 44 phenolic compounds in tea extracts were accurately confirmed by NIST library as well as reference substances. The clustering results of heat-map can better reflect the differences of phenolic compounds in different categories and subcategories of teas. Besides, the contents of hydrolyzable tannins, including galloylglucose, digalloylglucose, trigalloyglucose and strictinin, were positively correlated with the grades of green tea. The method validation and quantification results of exemplified five phenolic compounds in teas were also obtained, and LODs, LOQs and recoveries were ranging between 1.5-15.9 μg/mL, 5.1-53.1 μg/mL, and 79%-117.6%, respectively. Moreover, HPTLC-DESI-MS can save tenfold analytical time compared to HPLC-MS. Therefore, HPTLC-DESI-MS was a rapid, efficient characterization method of phenolic compounds in tea extracts.

Plasma Lipidomics Reveals Insights into Anti-Obesity Effect of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat Leaves and Its Constituent Luteolin in High-Fat Diet-Induced Dyslipidemic Mice

The Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat (CM) is widely used as a traditional medicine and herbal tea by the Asian population for its health benefits related to obesity. However, compared to the flowers of CM, detailed mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of its leaves on obesity and dyslipidemia have not yet been elucidated. Therefore, to investigate the lipidomic biomarkers responsible for the pharmacological effects of CM leaf extract (CLE) in plasma of mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD), the plasma of mice fed a normal diet (ND), HFD, HFD plus CLE 1.5% diet, and HFD plus luteolin 0.003% diet (LU) for 16 weeks were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) combined with multivariate analysis. In our analysis, the ND, HFD, CLE, and LU groups were clearly differentiated by partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) score plots. The major metabolites contributing to this differentiation were cholesteryl esters (CEs), lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs), phosphatidylcholines (PCs), ceramides (CERs), and sphingomyelins (SMs). The levels of plasma CEs, LPCs, PCs, SMs, and CERs were significantly increased in the HFD group compared to those in the ND group, and levels of these lipids recovered to normal after administration of CLE or LU. Furthermore, changes in hepatic mRNA expression levels involved in the Kennedy pathway and sphingolipid biosynthesis were also suppressed by treatment with CLE or LU. In conclusion, this study examined the beneficial effects of CLE and LU on obesity and dyslipidemia, which were demonstrated as reduced synthesis of lipotoxic intermediates. These results may provide valuable insights towards evaluating the therapeutic effects of CLE and LU and understanding obesity-related diseases.

Chrysanthemum morifolium Flower Extract Inhibits Adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 Cells via AMPK/SIRT1 Pathway Activation

Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat) flowers (CF) are widely consumed as herbal tea in many countries, including China. The aim of the present study was to examine the anti-adipogenic effect of hot water extraction of CF (HCF) on 3T3-L1 cells and their underlying cellular mechanisms. HCF treatment inhibited lipid accumulation under conditions that did not show the toxicity of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The activity of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), which plays an important role in glycerol lipid metabolism, was also reduced by HCF. Adipogenesis/lipogenesis-related mRNA expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (CEBP-α), sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4), acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1), and fatty acid synthase (FAS) were suppressed by HCF in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, HCF increased activities of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), involved in lipid metabolism. These findings suggest that HCF inhibits adipocyte lipid accumulation through suppression of adipogenesis/lipogenesis-related gene expression and activation of the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway. Therefore, it suggests that HCF may be used as a potentially beneficial plant material for preventing obesity.

Antioxidant potential of chrysanthemum morifolium flower extract on lipid and protein oxidation in goat meat patties during refrigerated storage

Flavonoid and phenolic acid profile of chrysanthemum morifolium flower extract (CME) was analyzed by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (Q-TOF-MS, Xevo G2-S; Milford, MA, USA, Waters) system in tandem with a quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The effect of CME on lipid and protein oxidation was investigated in goat patties during 9 days of refrigerated storage (4 ± 1 °C). Patties were prepared from freshly minced meat with the addition of 0.1% and 0.2% CME and compared with the butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (0.01%) and control. High level of thiol and lower level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and carbonyl content were observed in CME-treated samples compared to control during storage period. The incorporation of CME in patties reduced the pH and water activity values markedly, but no effect was found on color and sensory analyses. These results show that increased level of CME is more effective against lipid and protein oxidation and therefore can be used as a natural antioxidant in meat products without affecting product acceptability. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Chrysanthemum morifolium flower belongs to the family "Asteraceae" and is a novel natural antioxidant for meat processing industry. It possesses strong antioxidant activities having many phenolic compounds including gallocatechin, apigenin, rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, rhamnetin, and quercetin, and can be used for development and production of functional food as a natural antioxidant agent.

Comparative Analysis of Phytochemical Composition of Gamma-Irradiated Mutant Cultivars of Chrysanthemum morifolium

The flowers of chrysanthemum species are used as a herbal tea and in traditional medicine. In addition, members of the genus have been selected to develop horticultural cultivars of diverse floral colors and capitulum forms. In this research, we investigated the phytochemical composition of eight gamma-irradiation mutant cultivars of Chrysanthemum morifolium and their original cultivars. The mutant chrysanthemum cultivars were generated by treatment with various doses of ⁶⁰Co gamma irradiation of stem cuttings of three commercial chrysanthemum cultivars as follows: ‘ARTI-Dark Chocolate’ (50Gy), ‘ARTI-Purple Lady’ (30 Gy), and ‘ARTI-Yellow Star’ (50 Gy) derived from ‘Noble Wine’; ‘ARTI-Red Star’ (50 Gy) and ‘ARTI-Rising Sun’ (30 Gy) from ‘Pinky’; ‘ARTI-Purple’ (40 Gy) and ‘ARTI-Queen’ (30 Gy) from ‘Argus’; and ‘ARTI-Rollypop’ (70 Gy) from ‘Plaisir d’amour’. Quantitative analysis of flavonoids, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, and carotenoids in the flowers of the 12 chrysanthemum cultivars was performed using high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESIMS). Essential oils from the flowers of these cultivars were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The mutant cultivars, ‘ARTI-Dark Chocolate’, ‘ARTI-Purple Lady’, ‘ARTI-Purple’, and ‘ARTI-Queen’ showed higher total amounts of flavonoid and phenolic acid compared with those of the respective original cultivars. The mutant cultivars, ‘ARTI-Dark Chocolate’, ‘ARTI-Purple Lady’ and ‘ARTI-Purple’, which produce purple to pink petals, contained more than two-times higher amounts of anthocyanins compared with those of their original cultivars. Of the mutant cultivars, ‘ARTI-Yellow Star’ in which petal color was changed to yellow, showed the greatest accumulation of carotenoids. Ninety-nine volatile compounds were detected, of which hydrocarbons and terpenoids were abundant in all cultivars analyzed. This is the first report that demonstrated the phytochemical analysis of novel chrysanthemum cultivars derived from C. morifolium hydrid using HPLC-DAD-ESIMS and GC-MS. These findings suggest that the selected mutant chrysanthemum cultivars show potential as a functional source of phytochemicals associated with the abundance of health-beneficial components, as well as good source for horticulture and pigment industries.

Phytochemical Composition and Antioxidant Activities of Two Different Color Chrysanthemum Flower Teas

Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat is a perennial flowering plant widely cultivated for use in a tea infusion and as a popular beverage. To identify and evaluate the tea infusion made with a γ-irradiated mutant chrysanthemum cultivar with dark purple petals (cv. ARTI-Dark Chocolate), its phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity were tested and compared with those of the commercially available chrysanthemum cultivar with yellow petals (cv. Gamguk) by HPLC-DAD-ESIMS, as well as DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays. The purple chrysanthemum tea contained anthocyanins and linarin, which were not detected in the yellow chrysanthemum tea and the content of chlorogenic acid, acacetin-7-O-β-glucoside, and luteolin was higher compared with the yellow chrysanthemum tea. In contrast, the yellow chrysanthemum tea had higher luteolin-7-O-β-glucoside, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, apigenin-7-O-β-glucoside, and apigenin contents in comparison with the purple chrysanthemum tea. In addition, the content and antioxidant activity of the two chrysanthemum teas were investigated according to different water temperatures and infusing time. The yellow chrysanthemum tea did not show any significant differences according to infusing time and temperature, while the purple chrysanthemum tea was more influenced by the infusing time than water temperature, showing the highest total compound content in the infusing condition of 100 °C and 4 min. Moreover, the floral scent volatiles of the two chrysanthemum tea sources were analyzed using HS-SPME-GC-MS. In the DPPH radical scavenging assay, the purple chrysanthemum tea broadly showed greater antioxidant activity than did the yellow chrysanthemum tea, corresponding to the high content of anthocyanins known as the powerful antioxidant. Further, both chrysanthemum flower teas exhibited strong ABTS radical scavenging effects ranging from 76% to 61% under all infusing conditions. Therefore, the purple chrysanthemum cultivar, ARTI-Dark Chocolate, is worthy of breeding as a new tea cultivar.

Linarin inhibits radiation-induced cancer invasion by downregulating MMP-9 expression via the suppression of NF-κB activation in human non-small-cell lung cancer A549

Radiotherapy is routinely used in the treatment of lung cancer patients. However, it often causes malignant effects, such as promoting cancer cell migration and invasion. Previous studies demonstrated that ionizing radiation (IR) promotes cancer cell invasion by stimulating the β-catenin, IL-6, STAT3, and Bcl-X_L signaling pathway or the PI3K, Akt, and NF-κB signaling pathway. Both Bcl-X_L and NF-κB stimulate the secretion of matrix metalloproteases (MMPs), including MMP-2 and MMP-9. In the present study, linarin isolated from Chrysanthemum morifolium flowers significantly decreased the IR-induced cell migration and invasion at a concentration of 5 μM in A549 cells. This effect was mediated via MMP-9 downregulation and the suppression of NF-κB activation by inhibiting NF-κB and IκB-α phosphorylation. However, linarin did not affect the STAT3/Bcl-X_L pathway or the stabilization of β-catenin. Overall, these results suggest that linarin repressed the MMP-9-dependent invasion pathway by regulating NF-κB activity, thereby inhibiting IR-induced cancer metastasis.