Comparative investigation on the aroma profiles of edible citrus flowers in the main organs and different developmental stages.

Pomelo flowers emit a strong fragrance and give aromatic odors. Volatile compounds from pomelo flowers were analyzed at three developmental stages and in the main organs by molecular sensory science. A total of 134 volatiles including 25 odorants, were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/pulsed flame photometric detector (GC-MS/PFPD) and multidimensional GC-MS/olfactory (MDGC-MS/O). The total volatile content varied among pomelo flowers at different developmental stages (stage-III > stage-II > stage-I) and among different organs of pomelo flowers (petal > pistil > stamen). Linalool was an important odorant with a high OAV, and floral/fruity comprised the predominant aroma profile. Four odorants, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, linalool, ß-myrcene, and 2-butenal, were selected based on variable importance in projection (VIP) values and contributed mainly to the discrimination of pomelo flowers at three different developmental stages. Linalool, ß-myrcene, d-limonene, and ethyl hexanoate were potential markers for evaluating flavor differences in pomelo floral organs.

Effects of different cold plasma treatments on chemical composition, phenolics bioaccessibility and microbiota of edible red mini-roses.

This study evaluated the effect of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and glow discharge (glow) cold plasma treatments in color, sugars, organic acids, phenolics (concentration and bioaccessibility), antioxidant activity, volatiles, and microbiota of edible mini-roses. Plasma treatments did not affect the flowers' color, while they increased organic acids and phenolics. Flowers treated with DBD had a higher concentration of most phenolics, including hesperidin (84.04 µg/g) related to antioxidant activity, and a higher mass fraction of most volatiles, including octanal (16.46% after 5 days of storage). Flowers treated with glow had a higher concentration of pelargonidin 3,5-diglucoside (392.73 µg/g), greater bioaccessibility of some phenolics and higher antioxidant activity. Plasma treatments reduced the microbiota diversity in mini-roses. Regardless of the plasma treatment, phylum Proteobacteria, family Erwiniaceae, and genus Rosenbergiella were the dominant groups. Results indicate plasma treatments as promising technologies to improve the quality and increase phenolic and specific volatile compounds in mini-roses.

Simultaneous Determination of 23 Pyrrolizidine and Tropane Alkaloids in Infusions from Dry Edible Flowers Using Optimized µSPEed® Microextraction Prior to Their Analysis by UHPLC-IT-MS/MS.

A miniaturized solid-phase extraction of two tropane alkaloids (TAs) and twenty-one pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) from infusions of dry edible flowers using optimized µSPEed® technique was developed. The optimization of the µSPEed® methodology involved testing different cartridges and comparing various volumes and numbers of loading cycles. The final conditions allowed for a rapid extraction, taking only 3.5 min. This was achieved using a C18-ODS cartridge, conditioning with 100 µL of methanol (two cycles), loading 100 µL of the infusion sample (seven cycles), and eluting the analytes with 100 µL of methanol (two cycles). Prior to their analysis by UHPLC-IT-MS/MS, the extracts were evaporated and reconstituted in 100 µL of water (0.2% formic acid)/methanol (0.2% ammonia) 95:5 (v/v), allowing for a preconcentration factor of seven times. The methodology was successfully validated obtaining recoveries ranging between 87 and 97%, RSD of less than 12%, and MQL between 0.09 and 0.2 µg/L. The validated methodology was applied to twenty samples of edible flower infusions to evaluate the safety of these products. Two infusion samples obtained from Acmella oleracea and Viola tricolor were contaminated with 0.16 and 0.2 µg/L of scopolamine (TA), respectively, while the infusion of Citrus aurantium was contaminated with intermedine and lycopsamine (PAs) below the MQL.

Evaluation of the physical, antioxidant, and organoleptic properties of biscuits fortified with edible flower powders.

Foods enriched with plants have gradually become an area of increasing research interest because plant ingredients may offer several positive effects on human health and the body. The aim of our study was to develop biscuits fortified with three different types of edible flowers (marigold, lavender, and rose) and examine their physical and antioxidant characteristics, as well as consumer acceptability. The antioxidant properties and characterization of biscuits highlighted that edible flowers may cause increased total polyphenol and total flavonoid yields, as well as DPPH radical scavenging activities. Concerning biscuits fortified with rose petals, the total monomer anthocyanin content was also raised. In addition, the results showed that the antioxidant properties of biscuits increased with increasing concentration (from 2.5% to 5.0%) of edible flowers. Despite this, the consumer acceptability results clearly showed that the addition of marigold and lavender at a concentration of 5.0% caused significantly decreased overall acceptance. We found that the fortification step may increase the spread ratio, which is an important quality attribute of biscuits. We found slight variations in the diameter, thickness, and baking loss parameters of fortified biscuits compared to the control. All in all, the best results were obtained when the biscuits were fortified with rose petals at a concentration of 5%.

Bioactive compounds, nanoparticles synthesis, health benefits and potential utilization of edible flowers for the development of functional dairy products: a review.

The food sector faces difficulty meeting the expectations for high-quality food items with safe and clean perceptions in light of customers' increased concern and economic sanctions of synthetic and hazardous chemicals. Besides their widespread use as decoration, flowers are known to be consumed as a traditional food or a component of complementary therapy in many different civilizations worldwide. Because of their nutritional importance as a source of nutrients, proteins, essential amino acids, bioactive compounds, etc., many edible flowers can be viewed as a food source rather than just a delicacy or decoration. Polyphenols, flavonoids, and carotenoids are the phytochemicals that make up the bioactive components of edible flowers. These substances have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties that can improve the nutritional profile of dairy products. Nanoparticles have become a cutting-edge strategy to make use of these advantages. In addition to encapsulating and protecting medicinal substances, nanoparticles made from edible flowers also enable regulated release, increasing bioavailability and durability. Numerous opportunities exist for the addition of edible flower- nanoparticles to dairy products. Their inclusion can add distinctive flavours, colours, and sensations, boosting the consumer's sensory perception. This review quotes the recent studies and discusses different aspects such as nanoparticle synthesis, quantification and characterization, health benefits, novel ingredient for the development of functional food, and the bioactive compounds for different varieties of edible flowers.Kindly check and confirm the edit made in the title.  The final title  is : "Bioactive compounds,nanoparticles synthesis, health benefits andpotential utilization of edible flowers for thedevelopment of functional dairy products: areview".

Effect of Far-Red Light on Biomass Accumulation, Plant Morphology, and Phytonutrient Composition of Ruby Streaks Mustard at Microgreen, Baby Leaf, and Flowering Stages.

Far-red (FR) light influences plant development significantly through shade avoidance response and photosynthetic modulation, but there is limited knowledge on how FR treatments influence the growth and nutrition of vegetables at different maturity stages in controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Here, we comprehensively investigated the impacts of FR on the yield, morphology, and phytonutrients of ruby streaks mustard (RS) at microgreen, baby leaf, and flowering stages. Treatments including white control, white with supplementary FR, white followed by singularly applied FR, and enhanced white (WE) matching the extended daily light integral (eDLI) of FR were designed for separating the effects of light intensity and quality. Results showed that singular and supplemental FR affected plant development and nutrition similarly throughout the growth cycle, with light intensity and quality playing varying roles at different stages. Specifically, FR did not affect the fresh and dry weight of microgreens but increased those values for baby leaves, although not as effectively as WE. Meanwhile, FR caused significant morphological change and accelerated the development of leaves, flowers, and seedpods more dramatically than WE. With regard to phytonutrients, light treatments affected the metabolomic profiles for baby leaves more dramatically than microgreens and flowers. FR decreased the glucosinolate and anthocyanin contents in microgreens and baby leaves, while WE increased the contents of those compounds in baby leaves. This study illustrates the complex impacts of FR on RS and provides valuable information for selecting optimal lighting conditions in CEA.

Intelligent chemical profiling of 73 edible flowers by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry combined with HRMS database and their authentication based on large-scale fingerprints.

A commercial high-resolution MS database "TCM-PCDL" was innovatively introduced to automatically identify multi-components in 73 edible flowers rapidly and accurately by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, which can be time-consuming and labor-intensive in traditional manual method. The database encompasses over 2565 natural products with various energy levels. Unknown compounds can be identified through direct matching and scoring MS2 spectra with database. A total of 870 compounds were identified from 73 flowers, with polyphenols constituting up to 75%. Focusing on polyphenols, a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to generate fingerprints from 510 batches, establishing an "HPLC database" that enabled accurate authentication using similarity scores and rankings. This method demonstrated an accuracy rate of 100% when applied to 30 unknown samples. For flowers prone to confusion, additional statistical analysis methods could be employed as aids in authentication. This study provides valuable insights for large-scale sample chemical profiling and authentication.

First Insights on the Bioaccessibility and Absorption of Anthocyanins from Edible Flowers: Wild Pansy, Cosmos, and Cornflower.

Edible flowers are regaining interest among both the scientific community and the general population, not only for their appealing sensorial characteristics but also from the growing evidence about their health benefits. Among edible flowers, those that contain anthocyanins are among the most consumed worldwide. However, little is known regarding the bioaccessibility and absorption of their bioactive compounds upon ingestion. The aim of this work was to explore, for the first time, the behavior of anthocyanin-rich extracts from selected edible flowers under different food processing conditions and after ingestion using simulated digestions, as well as their absorption at the intestinal level. Overall, the results showed that the monoglucoside and rutinoside anthocyanin extracts were less stable under different pH, temperature, and time conditions as well as different digestive processes in the gastrointestinal tract. There was a prominent decrease in the free anthocyanin content after the intestinal phase, which was more pronounced for the rutinoside anthocyanin extract (78.41% decrease from the oral phase). In contrast, diglucoside and rutinoside anthocyanin extracts showed the highest absorption efficiencies at the intestinal level, of approximately 5% after 4 h of experiment. Altogether, the current results emphasize the influence of anthocyanins' structural arrangement on both their chemical stability as well as their intestinal absorption. These results bring the first insights about the bioaccessibility and absorption of anthocyanins from wild pansy, cosmos, and cornflower and the potential outcomes of such alternative food sources.

Cooking methods determine chemical composition and functional properties of squash blossoms: A study of microstructural and bioaccessibility changes.

This research aimed to evaluate the effect of different cooking methods (boiling, stir-frying, and steaming) on the microstructure, moisture, fat, protein, and glucose-derived carbohydrate contents, and the bioactive compounds (total carotenoids: CAR, total chlorophyll: CHLO, and total phenolic compounds: TPC) and antioxidant capacity (AC) of squash blossoms. Furthermore, we characterized polyphenolic compounds using HPLC and evaluated their bioaccessibility via in vitro digestions. Our results show that steaming and boiling do not affect moisture content. Only stir-frying decreased (p < 0.05) this parameter by 8 %. Additionally, the cooking methods increased (p < 0.05) protein and glucose-derived carbohydrate contents. All cooking methods changed the microstructure of the blossoms, probably due to the thermal and mechanical variations that result in moisture loss and degradation of cell wall components. As for the functional properties, boiling caused a greater loss of TPC (up to 96 %) and AC (up to 91 %). Stir-frying caused the greatest loss of CAR (up to 81 %) and CHLO (up to 84 %). The in vitro digestion assays showed changes in the bioaccessibility of CAR, CHLO, TPC, and AC in the cooked flowers compared to the fresh ones. Finally, kaempferol and gallic acid were the most resistant polyphenols to the cooking methods and in vitro digestion.

Characterization of the aroma profile of edible flowers using HS-SPME/GC-MS and chemometrics.

In recent years the consumption of edible flowers has gained new popularity, and their use seems destined to grow thanks to their potential as functional elements and their ability to impart aroma to traditional foods. In this study, the volatile profile of several edible flowers was investigated to identify characteristic compounds to be used as product markers. 85 samples belonging to four cultivars were analyzed by HS-SPME/GC-MS. A PLS-DA was used to build a model capable of differentiating the investigated classes. The resulting model correctly predicted over 95% of the validation samples, highlighting a significant difference between the four types of edible flowers. The VIP analysis highlighted 29 compounds relevant for the characterization of different flowers, many of which were biologically active. The study aims to broaden the framework of objectively measurable tools useful for enhancing the qualitative peculiarity of one product compared to another and offering growth opportunities to emerging food chains.

Antidiabetic and anti-obesity properties of a polyphenol-rich flower extract from Tagetes erecta L. and its effects on Caenorhabditis elegans fat storages

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease characterized by a high blood sugar level that can cause severe complications to the organism or even death when not treated. However, certain dietary habits and foods may have beneficial effects on this condition. A polyphenolic-rich extract (containing hyperoside, isoquercitrin, quercetin, ellagic acid, and vanillic acid) of Tageres erecta L. (T. erecta) was obtained from yellow and orange flowers using an ethanolic Soxhlet extraction. These extracts were screened for antidiabetic and anti-obesity properties using in vitro and in vivo procedures. The capacity to inhibit the enzymes lipase and α-glucosidase, as well as the inhibition of advance glycation end-products (AGEs) was tested in vitro. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) was used as an obesity in vivo model to assess extracts effects on fat accumulation using the wild-type strain N2 and a mutant with no N3 fatty acid desaturase activity BX24. Extracts from both cultivars (yellow and orange) T. erecta presented in vitro inhibitory activity against the enzymes lipase and α-glucosidase, showing lower IC50 values than acarbose (control). They also showed important activity in preventing AGEs formation. The polyphenol-rich matrices reduced the fat content of obese worms in the wild-type strain (N2) down to levels of untreated C. elegans, with no significant differences found between negative control (100% reduction) and both tested samples (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the fat reduction was considerably lower in the BX24 mutants (fat-1(wa-9)), suggesting that N3 fatty acid desaturase activity could be partially involved in the T. erecta flower effect. Our findings suggested that polyphenols from T. erecta can be considered candidate bioactive compounds in the prevention and improvement of metabolic chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. (AU)

Contenido nutricional, propiedades funcionales y conservación de flores comestibles: Revisión / Nutritional content, functional properties and conservation of edible flowers: Review

La florifagia, que es el consumo de flores como alimento es una práctica que, aunque no es nueva no estaba muy difundida entre los consumidores hasta hace algunas décadas. Las flores comestibles contribuyen al mejoramiento de la estética de los alimentos además, aportan sustancias biológicamente activas como vitaminas A, C, riboflavina, niacina, minerales como calcio, fósforo, hierro y potasio beneficiando la salud de quien las consume. Esta revisión incluye algunos ejemplos de flores comestibles como las rosas, violetas y capuchinas entre otras, sus usos y aplicaciones como alimento, sus características organolépticas y valor nutrimental por las cuales pueden considerarse un alimento funcional. No todas las flores pueden consumirse como alimento hay otro grupo de flores que pueden resultar tóxicas e incluso su ingesta puede ser mortal. Un factor importante que afecta la calidad de las flores es la forma en la que se conservan la cual repercute en sus características sensoriales y nutrimentales. Finalmente aunque el consumo de flores como alimento es una práctica antigua hay poca reglamentación es necesario realizar mayor investigación sobre su análisis químico y nutrimental que promueva su inclusión en la dieta ya que pueden ser una fuente alimenticia con un alto valor nutrimental y funcional.

The floriphagia that is the consumption of flowers as a food, is an old practice not widespread among consumers until some decades ago. Edible flowers contribute to increasing the appearance of food. They can provide biologically active substances including vitamin A, C, riboflavins, niacin, minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, iron and potassium that are eventually beneficial to consumers’ health. This review includes some examples of edible flowers including roses, violets and nasturtium among others, uses and applications, sensorial characteristics and nutritional values that lead them to be considered as functional food. An important factor that affects the quality of edible flowers is the form in which they are preserved since it may affect their sensorial and nutritional characteristics. However, not all flowers can be eaten as food since there are some of them that can be toxic or even mortal. Finally, although the consumption of flowers is an ancient practice, there is little regulation in this regard. Of the review on edible flowers, it is concluded that there are still numerous aspects about them to evaluate such as nutritional and functional characteristics, conservation and regulation with the aim to extend its consumption.