Unveiling the Phytochemical Richness and Bioactive Potential of Camellia quynhii: A Novel Species from Dak Lak Province, Vietnam
摘要
Camellia quynhii V.D.Luong, V.H.Quach & T.T.Hoang, Theaceae, a recently identified species from Dak Lak Province, Vietnam, has been traditionally utilized as a tonic and specialty tea, despite limited understanding of its phytochemical composition and biological effects. This study sought to elucidate the phytochemical profile and evaluate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and enzyme inhibitory activities of both young and mature leaves of C. quynhii. The analysis identified ten compounds using the UPLC method. Notably, the chlorogenic acid content was relatively high in both young (26.315 ± 0.008 mg g⁻1) and mature (9.355 ± 0.008 mg g⁻1) leaves, exceeding that of other documented Camellia species. The young leaves demonstrated higher levels and more potent biological activities compared to the mature ones. Principal component analysis indicated that phytochemical properties were positively correlated with the inhibition of tyrosinase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase, as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The young leaf extract exhibited strong DPPH (129.741 ± 4.218 mg TE g⁻1) and ABTS (191.862 ± 2.110 mg TE g⁻1) radical scavenging activities, ferric reducing antioxidant power (80.949 ± 0.361 mg TE g⁻1), and albumin denaturation inhibition (IC50 481.550 ± 0.644 µg ml⁻1). Furthermore, the young leaf extract showed potent inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase (IC50 3.112 ± 0.116 µg ml⁻1), α-amylase (IC50 76.563 ± 1.042 µg ml⁻1), and tyrosinase (IC50 7.229 ± 0.358 mg ml⁻1). These findings underscore the potential of C. quynhii as a source of bioactive compounds for the development of functional foods with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and tyrosinase inhibitory properties.
Graphical Abstract