Comparative Antioxidant Potentials and Quantitative Phenolic Compounds Profiles among the Flowers and Leaves from Various Chrysanthemum morifolium Cultivars

Chrysanthemum morifolium is a valuable plant that contains a wide range of phytochemical compounds and exhibits various biological activities. Ethanol extracts from both the leaves and flowers of 17 different cultivars of C. morifolium were tested for antioxidant activities using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2 '-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assays and were quantitatively analyzed for 12 phenolic compounds using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection. We found that the 'Ford' and 'Raina' cultivars demonstrated strong antioxidant abilities and high phenolic compound contents compared to other cultivars, while the flowers of 'Cielo' and the leaves of 'White Cap' exhibited low antioxidant capacity in both assays. The 'Cielo' cultivar also displayed the lowest compound contents. Additionally, in most samples, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid stood out as high-content compounds in the extracts. This study provides foundational knowledge that can be used for selecting appropriate C. morifolium cultivars for further research. Moreover, the 'Ford' and 'Raina' cultivars, containing high amounts of bioactive compounds and showing superior antioxidant ability, could be applied to produce health-beneficial products.