Edible flowers. Part 1. bioactive compounds and bioaccessibility

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the content of bioactive compounds and bioaccesibility in fresh edible flowers. The floral species characterized were Begonia sempervirens, Calendula officinalis, Tagetes patula, Viola tricolor, Viola × wittrockiana, Dianthus barbatus, and Matthiola incana. The bioactive compounds assessed included anthocyanins, phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, total chlorophylls, and antioxidant capacity using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The total bioactive compounds (expressed as dry weight) ranged from 2 to 27 mg/g for anthocyanins, 15 to 75 mg/g for total phenols, 1.04 to 7.33 mg/g for total flavonoids, 0.02 to 1.72 mg/g for total carotenoids, and 0.03 to 0.7 mg/g for total chlorophylls. The application of UV-C light, under the conditions tested, was ineffective in extending the shelf life of the flowers and adversely affected their visual quality.  The bioaccessibility study indicated that Viola tricolor and Calendula officinalis would provide a higher content of bioactive compounds available for intestinal assimilation.