Flavonol profiles of mature leaves allow discriminating Toona sinensis Roem from different north-south geographical origins across China with varied antioxidant activities

Toona sinensis (A. Juss.) Roem, a multipurpose economic tree, is widely cultivated across Asia, but its high-yielding mature leaves are largely overlooked. This study systematically analysed the flavonols in the mature leaves of T. sinensis from 44 different geographic locations across China, using HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ESI-MS2 techniques. In total, 18 flavonols were detected, among which 6 (f1, f3, f7, f14, f15, and f17) were firstly identified in this plant. Significant variations in quality among different T. sinensis varieties were observed (p < 0.01). Through OPLS-DA analysis, all samples could be clearly categorised into two distinct geographical groups. The northern varieties (N1-N20) exhibited concise flavonol fingerprints with higher total flavonol content (TFC) (727.55 +/- 22.79 mg/100 g fresh weight, FW), predominantly non-acylated flavonols (705.95 +/- 21.65 mg/100 g FW), particularly quercetin glycosides (614.60 +/- 22.76 mg/100 g FW). In contrast, the southern varieties (S1-S24) presented more intricate flavonol profiles with lower TFC (622.81 +/- 21.82 mg/100 g FW) and balanced amounts of quercetin (344.75 +/- 16.41 mg/100 g FW) and kaempferol glycosides (278.06 +/- 12.29 mg/100 g FW). Notably, the southern samples possessed higher content of acylated flavonols (184.50 +/- 12.87 mg/100 g FW), especially galloylated ones, which contributed to their heightened antioxidant activities. Quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside (f11') and kaempferol 3-O-galloyglucoside (f11) were determined to be the crucial biomarkers for quality discrimination. Considering quality control of mature T. sinensis leaves as potential resources for natural flavonol extraction, this study suggested that their northern/southern geographic origins should be distinguished first. Additionally, the flavonol profiles allow for discriminating the origin and assessing the quality of T. sinensis.