Abstract
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.
Highlights
The use of flowers in human food is considered an ancestral practice
There are some studies on the bioactive components of the genus Impatiens, little is known about its phenolic profile, especially with regard to the colouring material present in its flowers
This factor must be taken into account, since its petals have an attractive colour and, can be a promising source of bioactive compounds
Summary
The use of flowers in human food is considered an ancestral practice. currently, few of these plants are available for daily consumption [1]. There are some differences in the consumption habits of edible flowers, which can be justified by the influence exerted by regional customs and culture. There are reports of insertion of edible flowers in various dishes of oriental cuisine, for example, the use of some species (lily, lotus, saffron, rose, and marigold) as ingredients in recipes for cakes and infusions, as well as the application of edible roses in making sauces [2,3]. The incorporation of edible flowers in the human diet, in addition to contributing to the concepts of cuisine, makes the dishes more and more attractive, contributes to the addition of aromas, exotic, and delicate flavours, and provides improvements to consumer health, due to the existence of bioactive compounds in their composition, especially phenolic compounds [5,6]
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