The Compositional Aspects of Edible Flowers as an Emerging Horticultural Product.

Edible flowers are becoming very popular, as consumers are seeking healthier and more attractive food products that can improve their diet aesthetics and diversify their dietary sources of micronutrients. The great variety of flowers that can be eaten is also associated with high variability in chemical composition, especially in bioactive compounds content that may significantly contribute to human health. The advanced analytical techniques allowed us to reveal the chemical composition of edible flowers and identify new compounds and effects that were not known until recently. Considering the numerous species of edible flowers, the present review aims to categorize the various species depending on their chemical composition and also to present the main groups of compounds that are usually present in the species that are most commonly used for culinary purposes. Moreover, special attention is given to those species that contain potentially toxic or poisonous compounds as their integration in human diets should be carefully considered. In conclusion, the present review provides useful information regarding the chemical composition and the main groups of chemical compounds that are present in the flowers of the most common species.

Chemical Composition and Bioactive Characterisation of Impatiens walleriana.

The attractive colour characteristics of the flowers of the species Impatiens walleriana have been arousing great interest in the food industry, which is looking for potential natural sources of colouring ingredients. In this sense, the present work focused on the chemical and bioactive characterization of pink and orange flowers of I. walleriana. The phenolic compounds were determined by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS; in addition, different bioactivities (antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxicity) were also analysed. Both samples studied showed significant amounts of phenolic compounds, especially phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, which justifies the excellent performance in the different bioactivities studied. The orange variety, despite having a greater variety of phenolic compounds, showed a total amount of compounds lower than the pink variety. Overall, the flowers of I. walleriana emerge as a promising resource to be explored by the food industry.

Study on the Potential Application of Impatiens balsamina L. Flowers Extract as a Natural Colouring Ingredient in a Pastry Product.

Flowers of the genus Impatiens are classified as edible; however, their inclusion in the human diet is not yet a common practice. Its attractive colours have stirred great interest by the food industry. In this sense, rose (BP) and orange (BO) I. balsamina flowers were nutritionally studied, followed by an in-depth chemical study profile. The non-anthocyanin and anthocyanin profiles of extracts of both flower varieties were also determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a diode array and mass spectrometry detector (HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS). The results demonstrated that both varieties presented significant amounts of phenolic compounds, having identified nine non-anthocyanin compounds and 14 anthocyanin compounds. BP extract stood out in its bioactive properties (antioxidant and antimicrobial potential) and was selected for incorporation in "bombocas" filling. Its performance as a colouring ingredient was compared with the control formulations (white filling) and with E163 (anthocyanins) colorant. The incorporation of the natural ingredient did not cause changes in the chemical and nutritional composition of the product; and although the colour conferred was lighter than presented by the formulation with E163 (suggesting a more natural aspect), the higher antioxidant activity could meet the expectations of the current high-demand consumer.