Metabolomic Profiling of Lonicera Species

Metabolomic profiling of Lonicera species encompasses the comprehensive characterisation of small-molecule constituents across multiple taxa and plant organs to elucidate chemical diversity, chemotaxonomic relationships and potential bioactivities. Advances in chromatographic separation and high-resolution mass spectrometry have enabled the annotation and quantification of hundreds of metabolites, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, iridoids, saponins and volatile compounds. Coupled with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, these platforms generate detailed molecular fingerprints that, when interpreted by multivariate statistical tools, reveal species-specific and cultivar-specific signatures. Such signatures inform quality control of traditional herbal preparations, guide the selection of cultivars for nutraceutical development and facilitate the discovery of bioactive markers. Integration of metabolomic data with transcriptomic and enzymatic studies has begun to clarify biosynthetic pathways for key molecules such as chlorogenic acid and luteolosides, offering routes to metabolic engineering. Beyond pharmaceutical applications, metabolomic profiling supports authentication of commercial products, assessment of post-harvest processing effects and optimisation of agricultural practices, thereby enhancing the global value of honeysuckle as both a medicinal and functional food resource.

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Metabolomic Profiling of Lonicera Species publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in metabolomic profiling of lonicera species across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS (UHPLC-Q Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS): A hyphenated technique combining rapid chromatographic separation with high-resolution mass analysis for detailed metabolite identification and quantification.

Principal component analysis (PCA): An unsupervised statistical method that reduces complex data into orthogonal components capturing the greatest variance.

Partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA): A supervised statistical approach that models the relationship between measured variables and predefined sample classes to highlight discriminating features.

1H-NMR spectroscopy: A non-destructive analytical technique that profiles hydrogen-containing molecular structures by detecting nuclear magnetic resonance signals.

Metabolomic profiling: The systematic characterisation and quantification of the complete set of small molecules in a biological sample.

Biomarker: A measurable molecular indicator whose presence or abundance correlates with a specific biological condition or quality attribute.

References

1. Chemical profiling, discriminant analysis, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory activities of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos tea varieties. Future Foods (2025).
2. Metabolite profiles and antibacterial and antioxidant activities of leaf extracts of five Lonicera species: a comparative study. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture (2023).
3. Classification and Authentication of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos by Using 1H-NMR Spectroscopy and Chemical Pattern Recognition Analysis. Molecules (2023).
4. De novo transcriptome assembly and characterization of nine tissues of Lonicera japonica to identify potential candidate genes involved in chlorogenic acid, luteolosides, and secoiridoid biosynthesis pathways. Journal of Natural Medicines (2016).