Chrysanthemum as a remarkable edible flower resource with anti-glycation effects: Representative variety differences, phenolic compositions, and the interaction mechanism

Various edible chrysanthemum flowers possess different anti-glycation effects due to various compositions; however, the interaction mechanism is unclear. Our study aimed to compare the anti-glycation effects of different edible chrysanthemum flowers and investigate the effect of phenolic compounds among them. The bovine serum albumin (BSA)-glucose model was used for evaluating anti-glycation effects of various chrysanthemums flowers, and C. HBJ, C. TJ, and C. JSHJ showed better anti-glycation effects compare to aminoguanidine. Seventeen phenolic compounds were detected, and characteristic compounds were identified via omics analysis. The interactions between BSA and different phenolic acids were analyzed by molecular docking, and the anti-glycation model was used for further verification. In this way, apigetrin, chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, quercetin-3β-d-glucoside, and afzelin were identified. They were proved to affect the secondary structure of proteins due to excellent hydrophobic interactions. Our results identified the chrysanthemum species with the most promising anti-glycation effect as well as their representative phenolic compounds. The binding of phenolic compounds and BSA due to hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds might contribute to their anti-glycation activities. Overall, our research is helpful for designing edible flower products with anti-glycation functions and providing a better understanding of the structure–function relationship.