Quality Evaluation Research Based on Functional Component Group and Quality Control Coefficient: A Case Study of Gardenia jasminoides

Quality is critical to the market competitiveness of medicinal and edible GF. However, the current quality standards of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia rely on a single index and cannot comprehensively evaluate food material with diverse origins and multiple functional components. This study established a holistic evaluation strategy based on “functional component group” and “quality control coefficient Q”. Seven stable fingerprint peaks of iridoids and iridoid glycosides were identified by chromatography, with Q ≥ 3.67 as the quality benchmark. In cell experiments, HQG outperformed QG in the MTT assay of LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, 78 volatile compounds and 22 inorganic elements were analyzed by GC-MS and ICP-MS, respectively, as complementary analyses. Combined with chemometrics, the samples were discriminated according to geographical origin and tissue, and characteristic markers were screened on an exploratory basis. This study provides a scientific basis for precise quality control and screening of high-quality GF, and offers a reference framework for quality evaluation of other medicinal and edible homologous plants.