Mesona chinensis Benth is a significant botanical resource utilized for both medicinal and dietary purposes, and the Xiaoye variety (XY) exhibited the highest antioxidant activity among the varieties. Despite its importance, metabolic information regarding its medicinal and nutritional properties remains sparse. This study examined the secondary metabolites of four M. chinensis Benth varieties using UHPLC-MS/MS and identified 102, 105, and 286 metabolites exhibiting differential accumulation in the XY variety compared to the Taiwan variety (TW), Minxuan variety (MX), and Zengcheng variety (ZC), respectively, among the 1287 metabolites identified. These metabolites are predominantly involved in secondary metabolic pathways such as "Tropane, Piperidine, and Pyridine Alkaloid Biosynthesis" and "Flavone and Flavonol Biosynthesis". In addition, we identified the ten most significant differential metabolites that influence antioxidant activity, with flavonoids recognized as the primary contributors to the variation in antioxidant activities. In this study, we have outlined the metabolic landscape of M. chinensis Benth. These findings may aid in elucidating the mechanism behind the antioxidant activity of XY, which provides valuable insights for breeding, quality assurance, and product innovation related to M. chinensis Benth.
Keywords: M. chinensis Benth; UHPLC-MS; Xiaoye variety; antioxidant activity; secondary metabolites.