Total phenolics and antioxidants profiles of commonly consumed edible flowers in China

Abstract

Edible flowers are referred to the non-toxic flowers that can be consumed by human beings for their additional nutritional or medical properties. These flowers are rich source of natural antioxidants, thus exert specific positive health effects on chronic diseases and act as a potential function food. This research paper is focused on the determination of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), and antioxidant capacities of different kinds of edible flowers in China and compared systematically. Sixty-five flower samples were collected from parks in Guangzhou and also purchased from Qingping Market. TPC, TFC, and three anti-oxidative assays (DPPH free radical scavenging activity, ABTS radical scavenging activity, and Ferric reducing antioxidant capacity (FRAP) assay) were conducted. Different flowers presented diverse range of antioxidant capacities, phenolic contents, and flavonoid contents. A high correlation between TPC and antioxidant activity (as accessed using three different methods) was reported. However, a low relationship was observed between TFC value and antioxidant capacities. This study revealed that five Rosa species exhibited strong antioxidant capacities among other samples, and these can be used as potential functional foods to counterbalance the effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress.