Extraction, Characterization, and Anti-Aging Evaluation of Flavonoids from Citrus reticulata ‘Zhangshuensis’

ZhangTouHong (ZTH), highly valuable edible-medicinal resource rich in bioactive flavonoids, lack of chemical composition and biological activities studies. In this work, a preparation process was developed to prepare flavonoid multi-components (FMC) from ZTH, which showed high efficiency and specificity, and increased total flavonoid content by 4.62-fold. Based on UPLC- Q-TOF- MS/MS and molecular networks, the FMC in ZTH were identified for the first time, with a total of 48 flavonoid compounds identified, including 3 potential new compounds. Moreover, the verification results of anti-aging activity demonstrated that FMC have excellent antioxidant activity and anti-aging capacity, extending nematodes lifespan by 21.65% and survival time of oxidative stress nematodes by 35.71%. In summary, this study established an efficient and scalable preparation process for preparing bioactive flavonoid components, and for the first time verified the anti-aging effect of ZTH FMC, providing the scientific basis for deep development and industrial application of this characteristic citrus resource.