Age-Related Variation in Flavonoid Composition, Human Pancreatic Lipase Inhibition, and Preliminary Brine Shrimp Lethality of Rhododendron adamsii Leaves and Sagan Dali Tea.
- 1Laboratory of Biomedical Research, Institute of General and Experimental Biology, Siberian Division, Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 Sakhyanovoy Street, 670047 Ulan-Ude, Russia.
- 2Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, North-Eastern Federal University, 58 Belinsky Street, 677027 Yakutsk, Russia.
Abstract
Rhododendron adamsii Rehder is an important Asian ericaceous species widely used throughout the region as a food plant for producing sagan dali tea. Although the leaves of R. adamsii are consumed at different developmental stages, potential variations in their metabolite composition and bioactivity have not yet been scientifically investigated. To address this knowledge gap, first-year, second-year, and litterfall leaves of R. adamsii, together with sagan dali tea decoctions, were subjected to LC-MS profiling and quantification, in vitro assays measuring human pancreatic lipase (hPL) inhibition, and toxicity evaluation using the brine shrimp lethality (BSL) assay. The results showed that leaf age significantly affects (p < 0.05) phenolic diversity, total content, and antilipase activity in sagan dali tea, establishing the following performance ranking: first-year > second-year > litterfall. Leaf senescence caused a decrease or disappearance of flavonoid glycosides, accompanied by an increase in free aglycones, ultimately altering the tea's chemical composition. Specifically, the predominant compounds in first-year leaves were myricetin 3'-O-xylopyranoside (881-917 mg/100 g) and quercetin 3-O-galactoside (672-714 mg/100 g), whereas free myricetin (427-451 mg/100 g) predominated in the litterfall. The highest antilipase potency of sagan dali tea was recorded in first-year leaves (IC₅₀ 30.65-33.47 μg/mL vs. orlistat 35.28 μg/mL). This activity was associated with the presence of myricetin, quercetin, and gossypetin in both free and glycosylated forms, with IC₅₀ values lower than that of orlistat under the tested conditions. Furthermore, the BSL assay showed LC₅₀ values > 1000 μg/mL, indicating low lethality of sagan dali tea to brine shrimp across all categories under the tested conditions. However, these results provide only preliminary information and do not establish food or human safety. In summary, the age of R. adamsii leaves is a critical parameter determining phytocomponent concentrations and associated bioactivity while consistently maintaining low brine shrimp lethality under the tested conditions. These findings provide a biochemical basis for further research into the optimal use of R. adamsii leaf material.
Related
- 1105 HER3 inhibition sensitizes metastatic colorectal and pancreatic cancer to immunotherapy
- PFKFB3 inhibition restores β-cell responsiveness to acetylcholine in a 3xTg-AD pancreatic tissue-slice mode
- Development and preliminary clinical characterization of an MDT-defined surgical-window framework for complex pancreatic cancer: a retrospective cohort study.
- KRAS inhibition drives adaptive surfaceome remodeling and reveals ALPP/ALPPL2 as a targetable vulnerability in pancreatic cancer
- PGM3 inhibition rewires RUVBL2-dependent DNA repair and induces a BRCAness-like state in pancreatic cancer cells
BibTeX
@article{olennikov2026agerelated,
title = {{Age-Related Variation in Flavonoid Composition, Human Pancreatic Lipase Inhibition, and Preliminary Brine Shrimp Lethality of Rhododendron adamsii Leaves and Sagan Dali Tea.}},
author = {Daniil N Olennikov and Nina I Kashchenko and Nadezhda K Chirikova},
journal = {Foods (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/foods15193433},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883540},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Age-Related Variation in Flavonoid Composition, Human Pancreatic Lipase Inhibition, and Preliminary Brine Shrimp Lethality of Rhododendron adamsii Leaves and Sagan Dali Tea.
AU - Daniil N Olennikov
AU - Nina I Kashchenko
AU - Nadezhda K Chirikova
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/25
JO - Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/foods15193433
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883540
AB - Rhododendron adamsii Rehder is an important Asian ericaceous species widely used throughout the region as a food plant for producing sagan dali tea. Although the leaves of R. adamsii are consumed at different developmental stages, potential variations in their metabolite composition and bioactivity have not yet been scientifically investigated. To address this knowledge gap, first-year, second-year, and litterfall leaves of R. adamsii, together with sagan dali tea decoctions, were subjected to LC-MS profiling and quantification, in vitro assays measuring human pancreatic lipase (hPL) inhibition, and toxicity evaluation using the brine shrimp lethality (BSL) assay. The results showed that leaf age significantly affects (p < 0.05) phenolic diversity, total content, and antilipase activity in sagan dali tea, establishing the following performance ranking: first-year > second-year > litterfall. Leaf senescence caused a decrease or disappearance of flavonoid glycosides, accompanied by an increase in free aglycones, ultimately altering the tea's chemical composition. Specifically, the predominant compounds in first-year leaves were myricetin 3'-O-xylopyranoside (881-917 mg/100 g) and quercetin 3-O-galactoside (672-714 mg/100 g), whereas free myricetin (427-451 mg/100 g) predominated in the litterfall. The highest antilipase potency of sagan dali tea was recorded in first-year leaves (IC₅₀ 30.65-33.47 μg/mL vs. orlistat 35.28 μg/mL). This activity was associated with the presence of myricetin, quercetin, and gossypetin in both free and glycosylated forms, with IC₅₀ values lower than that of orlistat under the tested conditions. Furthermore, the BSL assay showed LC₅₀ values > 1000 μg/mL, indicating low lethality of sagan dali tea to brine shrimp across all categories under the tested conditions. However, these results provide only preliminary information and do not establish food or human safety. In summary, the age of R. adamsii leaves is a critical parameter determining phytocomponent concentrations and associated bioactivity while consistently maintaining low brine shrimp lethality under the tested conditions. These findings provide a biochemical basis for further research into the optimal use of R. adamsii leaf material.
SN - 2304-8158
ER -