Lonicera japonica Thunb. possesses significant potential for applications in beverages and functional foods. Nevertheless, most studies focus on the overall quality of flower buds, with limited comparisons across different developmental stages and distinct floral parts. This study systematically investigated changes in volatile flavor compounds and non-volatile bioactive constituents in whole flowers, calyxes, corollas, and reproductive organs before and after flowering. An integrated approach combining metabolomics profiling, entropy weight analysis, correlation network analysis, and molecular docking was employed to evaluate their potential in functional food development. The level of 3-decyn-2-ol increased markedly after flowering, with an approximately 14-fold increase in reproductive organs. Phenolic acids were highly enriched in the calyx, reaching up to 12-fold higher than in other parts. Flavonoids predominated in the corolla at levels 1.5–3-fold higher than in other tissues. Following flowering, the overall levels of phenolic acids and flavonoids decreased, while total sugars, reducing sugars, and polysaccharides increased by approximately 59%, 98%, and 35%, respectively. These results suggest that open flowers may exhibit enhanced potential for functional food applications. Entropy weight analysis indicated that the calyx contributed most to the integrated evaluation of flavor and functional attributes. Correlation network analysis identified chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, rutin, luteoloside, loganic acid, and secologanoside as key constituents, which showed potential interactions with inflammation- and immunity-related targets in molecular docking. These findings suggest that although medicinal use decreased after flowering, the edible value of L. japonica may increase, providing a basis for its rational utilization in functional food development.
Feng et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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