| Summary: | Background: The yellow-leaf <i>gl1</i> mutant of <i>Lagerstroemia indica</i> exhibits an altered phenylpropanoid metabolism pathway compared to wild-type (WT). However, details on the metabolites associated with leaf color variation, including color-specific metabolites with bioactive constituents, are not fully understood. Methods: Chemical and metabolomics approaches were used to compare metabolite composition and antioxidant capacity between the <i>gl1</i> mutant and WT leaves. Results: The mutant exhibited an irregular xylem structure with a significantly lower phenolic polymer lignin content and higher soluble phenolic compounds. Untargeted metabolomics analysis identified phenolic compounds, particularly lignans, as key differential metabolites between <i>gl1</i> and WT, with a significant increase in the mutant. The neolignan derivative balanophonin-4-<i>O</i>-D-glu was identified as a characteristic metabolite in the <i>gl1</i> mutant. The soluble phenolic compounds of the <i>gl1</i> mutant exhibited higher FRAP, ABTS, DPPH, and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity than in WT. Correlation analysis showed a positive relationship between antioxidant capacity and phenolic compounds in <i>L. indica</i>. Conclusions: Metabolites associated with leaf color variation in the <i>L. indica</i> yellow-leaf <i>gl1</i> mutant demonstrated high antioxidant capacity, particularly in scavenging hydroxyl radicals.
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