Medicinal Plant Research 2025, Vol.15, No.2, 88-98 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 88 Review Article Open Access Research on the Extraction of Flavonoids from Hangbaiju (Chrysanthemum morifolium) and the Development of Functional Foods Jianli Lu1, Chuchu Liu 2 1 Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China 2 Institute of Life Sciences, Jiyang Colloge of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China Corresponding author: chuchu.liu@jicat.org Medicinal Plant Research, 2025, Vol.15, No.2 doi: 10.5376/mpr.2025.15.0010 Received: 20 Feb., 2025 Accepted: 28 Mar., 2025 Published: 26 Apr., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Lu and Liu, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Lu J.L., and Liu C.C., 2025, Research on the extraction of flavonoids from Hangbaiju (Chrysanthemum morifolium) and the development of functional foods, Medicinal Plant Research, 15(2): 88-98 (doi: 10.5376/mpr.2025.15.0010) Abstract Hangbaiju is rich in various flavonoid components, and naturally possesses excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. So, it is regarded as a high-quality resource for the development of functional foods. Its potential is not only confined to traditional drinking, but also reveals new possibilities in modern health products. This study focused on the flavonoids in Hangbaiju, sorted out its main chemical composition and functional characteristics, and compared the differences in efficiency and component retention among different techniques by combining traditional and modern extraction methods. The results show that, green extraction methods such as ultrasonic-assisted and enzymatic hydrolysis, not only increase the yield but also are more beneficial to the stability of the active substances. It further explored the application paths of Hangbaiju flavonoids in various food forms, like tea beverages, capsules, and nutritional supplements, and evaluated their functional effects and safety in both in vivo and in vitro. This study provides fundamental support for the high-value development of Hangbaiju resources, and also offers a reference for the extended application of functional products. Keywords Hangbaiju; Flavonoids; Green extraction; Functional food; Antioxidant 1 Introduction Hangbaiju (Chrysanthemum morifolium), an important cultivated variety of chrysanthemum, has a history of over three thousand years in China for medicinal and tea consumption. Traditionally, Hangbaiju has been used to treat colds, inflammation and cardiovascular diseases, and is widely consumed as a daily drink due to its health benefits (Hao et al., 2022; Liu et al., 2024). As a plant with both medicinal and edible properties, Hangbaiju has a profound root in Chinese culture. Different cultivated varieties, such as "Taiju" and "Duoju", are often used in flower tea and nutritional health products (Gong et al., 2019; Yang et al., 2022). With the growing global interest in natural health products and functional foods, the market potential of Hangbaiju has also significantly increased. High safety, refreshing flavor, coupled with the background of "food and medicine sharing the same origin", makes it a valuable resource in the development of nutritional health products, functional beverages and food additives (Hao et al., 2022; Zhu et al., 2024). The increasing demand for natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components in the health industry has further enhanced the commercial value of Hangbaiju, especially as new applications of related active ingredients are constantly being discovered (Liu et al., 2024). Flavonoids are one of the main secondary metabolites in Hangbaiju. They not only participate in the plant's own defense system, but also affect color and the ability to adapt to the environment (Wang et al., 2019; Lu et al., 2024). For humans, flavonoids are more like natural "protective umbrellas", which can resist oxidation and inflammation, and may also play a role in regulating immunity and preventing chronic diseases (Zhang et al., 2019; Chen et al., 2020; Hou et al., 2020). In Hangbaiju, luteolin, apigenin, trifolin and their glycoside derivatives are abundant. Phenolic substances such as caffeylquinic acid are also often mentioned together (Gong et al., 2019; Lu et al., 2024). Recent metabolomics and
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