Phytoprofiling of L. Inflorescences: A Valuable and Promising Resource for Phenolics.

The leaves and fruits of various L. genotypes have long ethnopharmacological and food-usage histories, but inflorescences are still underutilized and neglected materials with scarce phytochemical scientific evidence. The aim of this study was to determine the phenolic profiles of inflorescence extracts of 26 species, genotypes, and cultivars. HPLC and UPLS with MS detection were applied, and coupled data revealed unique phytochemical phenolic profiles. Neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acids were the key compounds, reaching up to 5.8 mg/g of dw. Rutin, isoquercitrin, quercetin 3malonylglucoside, isorhamnetin 3rutinoside, sexangularetin derivative, and kaempferol acetyl hexoside were detected in all inflorescence samples. Overall, high quantitative heterogeneity across the various genotypes was found by profiling. Phenolic fingerprint profiles and sexangularetin derivatives could serve as markers in authenticity studies and quality control schemes. The species , , , and and the cultivars 'Chamsis Louing', 'Coral Beauty', and 'Edulis' could be used as target genotypes for production of smart and innovative inflorescence matrix-based ingredients.