Comparison of Phenolic Profile and Antioxidant Activities of Taraxacum officinale Infusions

Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion) is widely recognized in traditional medicine and the food industry. The plant, which is used for various purposes, is also popular as an herbal tea. Variations in tea preparation conditions have an impact on the phytochemical profile and biological activity. This study aims to evaluate and compare the phenolic profiles and antioxidant capacities of Taraxacum officinale infusions obtained by different brewing times. Infusions were prepared using different brewing times. The total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were quantified, and the phenolic profiles of the infusions were screened by LC-MS/MS. The antioxidant potential was assessed through DPPH radical scavenging activity and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assays. Both total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) increased with longer brewing periods. An increase in total phenolic and flavonoid contents with prolonged brewing time was accompanied by enhanced antioxidant activity. Chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, luteolin-7-glucoside, and rutin were identified as the major phenolic compounds present in all infusion samples. The findings suggest that optimizing infusion parameters is essential for enhancing the availability of phenolic compounds.