Abstract
Rose and nasturtium are common ornamental edible flowers rich in phytochemicals whose application as food is not widely explored. The gastrointestinal environment can modify these compounds, resulting in new combinations with different bioactivity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of simulated gastrointestinal digestion (SGD) on rose and nasturtium flower extracts. Using UPLC-HRMS, 38 phenolic compounds were identified, and the SGD caused significant changes, mainly in the glycosylated phenolic. Furthermore, antioxidant activity was correlated with the increase in the concentrations of some polyphenols. Tested Gram-negative bacteria showed sensitivity to the flower extracts; their growth was inhibited by up to 82.7%. SGD interrupted the bacterial growth inhibition power of the rose extracts. On the other hand, an increase in inhibition ranging from 52.25 to 54.72%was found for nasturtium extracts, correlated to the behavior of some bioactive. Hence, SGD resulted in significant changes in phenolic profiles of the edible flowers, increasing antioxidant activity and changing antimicrobial effects.
Highlights
Ornamental flowers are often used to decorate gardens and aroma tize rooms
The residue was resuspended with ultrapure water to the concentration of 50 g of edible flower per L of solvent
Flavonoids and phenolic acids were the major classes of phenolic compounds detected in rose and nasturtium edible flowers, in which up to 38 different structures were identified by UPLC coupled with mass spectrometry
Summary
Ornamental flowers are often used to decorate gardens and aroma tize rooms. The consumption of edible flowers is an ancient human habit. Fresh and organic flowers have been consid ered unconventional food plants (UFP). Their potential to be used as food is not widely explored (Matyjaszczyk & Smiechowska, 2019). Chefs worldwide have utilized edible flowers in making salads, garnishes, and beverages, improving their sensorial (Pires et al, 2018) and nutritional (Matyjaszczyk & Smiechowska, 2019) properties. Edible flowers may be used strategically, resulting in different products, contributing to their market growth
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