journal article·2025-12-01Open access

Hot-Water Infusion as an Efficient and Sustainable Extraction Approach for Edible Flower Teas

Ji Won Choi, Suhyeon Baek, Li Zhang, Ji-Eun Bae, Sang Gil Lee

Applied Sciences· Volume 15· Issue 23

Abstract

This study evaluated hot-water infusion as a practical and sustainable extraction method for functional flower petal teas. Six edible flowers—Tagetes erecta, Lonicera japonica, Celosia argentea var. cristata, Centaurea cyanus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, and Malva sylvestris—were compared under hot-water and 80% ethanol extraction. Hot-water extraction was performed at 100 °C for 15 min. Hot-water extracts showed 1.3–4.0 times higher total phenolic content (TPC) and stronger antioxidant activities (ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP) than 80% ethanol extracts, reflecting efficient extraction of hydrophilic phenolic acids. UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS and GC–MS analyses of hot-water extracts revealed chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, coumaric acid derivatives, flavonoid glycosides, and aroma volatiles such as hexanal and α-pinene. These findings confirm that simple hot-water infusion effectively recovers both bioactive and aroma-active compounds, supporting its application in developing safe, natural, and functional flower teas.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities · Essential Oils and Antimicrobial Activity · Tea Polyphenols and Effects

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Smart Green Technology Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea

Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea

Department of Poultry Science, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA

Funding

MISP (Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning), Korea · Ministry of Education (MOE) and Busan Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea · Global Joint Research Program funded by Pukyong National University

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