Research on the Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Enzyme Inhibition Activity, and Anti inflammatory Effects of Huangjiang Flower
Hedychium flavum Roxb., a plant of the genus Zingiberaceae, is of edible, medicinal and ornamental value. It is mainly distributed in Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan, Guangxi and other places in China, and is also widely planted in Myanmar, Thailand and India. Huangjianghua, also known as grass fruit, is a local specialty food in Bijie, Guizhou. Existing research has shown that the rhizomes of ginger flowers have various pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, insecticidal, and enzyme inhibitory activities. They are used as food seasonings and traditional Chinese medicine, and their tender shoots are used as seasonings and vegetables. The flowers of Huangjianghua can be used as food seasonings, with a rich and volatile aroma. In order to add a strong and fragrant flavor to pickled products, people often add it to chopped peppers and chili sauce. At the same time, fresh petals can be used as seasonings for stir frying. The flower extract of turmeric flower is used to blend essence. In addition, the flowers of Huangjianghua have the functions of strengthening the stomach and relieving pain, warming the middle and dispersing cold, and are commonly used to treat related diseases such as indigestion, diarrhea, stomach cold and abdominal pain, and stagnation of food accumulation. The volatile oil of Huangjianghua can be used in cosmetics and has an aromatic and stomach nourishing effect. The preliminary research of the research group has shown that the volatile oil of Huangjianghua has significant anti-inflammatory effects both in vitro and in vivo. At present, there is relatively little research on Huangjiang Flower in China, and there are no reports on the chemical composition and pharmacological activity of its non-volatile substances. Therefore, this experiment mainly studies the chemical composition, antioxidant activity, enzyme inhibition activity, and anti-inflammatory activity of Huangjiang Flower Extract.

Plant polyphenols and flavonoids have antioxidant, free radical scavenging, immune enhancing, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, cardiovascular improvement, liver protection, anti-aging, lipid-lowering, anti-cancer and other effects. However, the total phenolic acid and flavonoid content of Huangjiang Flower Extract is relatively high, which can be used as a rich source of phenols and flavonoids. A total of 58 compounds were identified from the extract of Huangjiang flowers, including 11 phenolic compounds and 18 flavonoid compounds. Huangjiang Flower Extract has good antioxidant activity against DPPH and ABTS free radicals, especially strong scavenging effect on DPPH free radicals. In previous studies, it has been found that the total phenolic and flavonoid content of plant extracts is positively correlated with their ability to clear DPPH and ABTS. Therefore, the strong antioxidant capacity of ginger flower extract is closely related to its high total phenolic acid and total flavonoid content.
Both the ethanol extract and water extract of Huangjianghua can significantly reduce the excessive secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators (NO and PGE2) and cytokines (TNF – α, IL-6, and IL-1 β) in RAW264.7 cells, with the ethanol extract showing better anti-inflammatory activity. According to research reports, pine bark aldehyde has good anti-inflammatory effects and can reduce inflammatory damage; Isoquercitrin can inhibit the excessive production of TNF – α, NO, iNOS, and COX-2; Quercetin can reduce the release of inflammatory cytokines TNF – α and IL-1 β; Fragrant leaf lignin has anti-inflammatory effects. The above compounds only exist in the alcohol extract, which may be the reason for the better anti-inflammatory activity of the alcohol extract of Huangjianghua. In addition, both extracts contain vanillin, which has anti-inflammatory effects; Vanillin acid can inhibit the production of cytokines and is used to treat inflammation; Qiyeting can inhibit the synthesis of inflammation related mediators and alleviate inflammatory reactions; Vitinine II can inhibit the production of cytokines TNF – α, IL-6, and IL-1 β. Therefore, the anti-inflammatory effect of Huangjianghua extract may be related to the biological activity of phenolic and flavonoid compounds in it.
In summary, the water and alcohol extracts of Huangjianghua contain high levels of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, which have good antioxidant activity inhibition ability and certain enzyme inhibition ability, while exhibiting good anti-inflammatory effects. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of turmeric flowers in food, medicine, cosmetics and other fields.