Effects of stir-frying fixation on the chemical components of Lonicerae japonicae flos tea: GC-IMS and UPLC-HRMS†

Lonicerae japonicae flos (LJF), a traditional Chinese medicine characterized by its dual nature as both food and medicine, has been prepared into tea through a stir-frying method. However, dynamic changes in chemical components in LJF tea during the stir-frying process have not yet been fully revealed. In this study, the content of volatile constituents (VOCs) and non-volatile constituents (nVOCs) in LJF tea with varying stir-frying fixation times was measured using GC-IMS and UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS, respectively. A total of 63 VOCs were identified, and 8 featured VOCs were screened using multivariate data analysis. A total of 54 nVOCs were detected, and 5 featured nVOCs were identified. After comprehensively considering the content of both volatile and non-volatile components, it was determined that 40–60 seconds of stir-frying is optimal for maintaining a higher concentration of beneficial components and enhancing the aroma of LJF tea. This study provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the mechanisms underlying the stir-frying process in LJF tea production and offers valuable insights for quality control and enhancement strategies related to LJF tea.