Geographical Origin Drives Metabolic Divergence in Styphnolobium japonicum cv. Jinhuai: A Widely Targeted Metabolomic Study of Flower Buds from Sichuan and Guangxi, China

HighlightsWhat are the main findings?We identified 1550 metabolites (flavonoid-dominant), 152 key active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM-KAIs), and 204 pharmaceutical disease-resistant ingredients (PDRIs) in the flower bud ofStyphnolobium japonicumcv. Jinhuai (FBSJvJ).Geographic origin drove metabolic divergence. Guangxi samples were enriched in lipids and nucleotides, while Sichuan samples were enriched in flavonoids and phenolic acids. In addition, three core biomarkers were identified.What are the implications of the main findings?Biomarkers enable origin authentication and precision quality control compared to a single marker (rutin), supporting traceability and regulatory compliance for food and medicinal products.Regional metabolic signatures can help identify functional ingredients and guide product formulation, processing optimization, and cultivar selection for food and medicinal development.Background/Objectives:Styphnolobium japonicumcv. Jinhuai (SJvJ) represents a medicinal and edible plant whose metabolite composition is strongly shaped by its growing location. Current quality control methods mainly rely on rutin quantification, lacking comprehensive metabolic markers for origin discrimination. Therefore, this study aimed to profile interregional metabolic differences between Guangxi and Sichuan SJvJ flower buds, identify characteristic differential markers, and clarify relevant metabolic pathways, thereby guiding quality control, germplasm evaluation, and functional food development. Methods: Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was employed to identify metabolites. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and Cancer HSP were applied to screen the key active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM-KAIs) and disease-related pharmaceutical ingredients (PDRIs). Specifically, we targeted six highly prevalent human diseases and another five disorders based on therapeutic indications documented in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Multivariate analyses, such as principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering analysis, and other statistical methods, were applied to investigate differential metabolites. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database was utilized for pathway enrichment analysis of marker metabolites. Results: In total, 1550 metabolites were identified across 12 categories, predominantly flavonoids. Additionally, 152 TCM-KAIs and 204 PDRIs against 11 diseases were screened. Multivariate analyses indicated that geographical origin was closely associated with observed metabolic variation among the tested samples: Guangxi samples accumulated higher lipids and nucleotides, whereas Sichuan samples showed higher levels of flavonoids and phenolic acids. Vanilloloside, protocatechuic acid-4-O-glucoside, and gallic acid-4-O-glucoside were identified as key inter-group biomarkers. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed enhanced metabolism of nucleotide/pyrimidine in Guangxi, whereas zeatin biosynthesis was upregulated in Sichuan, consistent with discrepancies in regional climatic patterns. Conclusions: This study established a more comprehensive metabolomic dataset for FBSJvJ. It also clarified the correlations between origin and quality and unraveled the underlying mechanisms. These findings facilitate origin authentication, standardized quality control, and rational exploitation of FBSJvJ as raw materials of functional foods.