Chemical profiling, discriminant analysis, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory activities of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos tea varieties

Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF), a widely consumed functional tea ingredient, was investigated for its phytochemical composition and bioactive properties. Ten LJF tea varieties were systematically analyzed for six bioactive compounds (chlorogenic acid, secoxyloganin, sweroside, cynaroside, isochlorogenic acid A, and isochlorogenic acid C) using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantification. Multivariate statistical approaches, including principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), were employed, with 80 % of variance being explained by PCA (PC1+PC2), while isochlorogenic acid C (VIP=1.32) and secoxyloganin (VIP=1.18) were identified by PLS-DA as the most significant markers for varietal differentiation. Comprehensive bioactivity evaluation included: (1) in vitro antioxidant capacity assessment via DPPH and ABTS∙ + assays, revealing significant free radical scavenging capacities (0.38–0.71 mmol V C E/g and 1.22–6.35 mmol TE/g, respectively); (2) in vivo anti-inflammatory evaluation using zebrafish models, demonstrating superior efficacy against pathogen-induced versus wound-induced inflammation. Meaningful relationships between specific phytochemical components and observed bioactivities were established by Spearman correlation analysis and heatmap clustering. Notably, the cultivar Fenghua No.1 exhibited optimal bioactive performance, achieving peak antioxidant values and significant anti-inflammatory effects. The results validate LJF's functional tea status while highlighting enhanced bioactivity in newer cultivars, particularly Fenghua No.1, supporting their potential nutraceutical applications.